Miracles
by Hannahble
Summary: Miracles are supposed to be the spice of life, the joker drawn in life's deck of cards. They can change your day, or your whole world; your hand or the entire game. But Sora's never had one, never had something that ignited his soul and his willing body. Riku is just the same. But maybe, at Camp Hawkeye, they can find one together... and change each other along the way. W/Akuroku
1. Chapter 1: First Play

**Chapter One: First Play**

The July heat has finally become tangible, licking everything to death like a slobbery, hyper puppy with its ultraviolet waves. Sora hazily steps out of his dad's silvery-blue suburban, groggy from napping on the car trip to Hawkeye Camp "where a kid can let go!" The heat is the first thing he notices, giving him strong instincts to return to his cool, air conditioned car. But he knows his mom would just drag him out, by his toes if that's what it takes.

Sora, a sixteen year old brunet with Caribbean blue eyes and tan skin, had already told his parents _exactly _what he thought of this summer-long camp they were ditching him at. Although both him and his genetic donors usually got along well, for some reason he couldn't get them to see anything his way this time. A whole summer away from his friends at home at a place called _Hawkeye? _Oh, that sounds absolutely like a vacation; hand him the margaritas and Marbolos. That, by the way, was heavy sarcasm.

Sora's parents weren't amused when he said that last bit out loud along with everything else. They couldn't leave him home alone while they went over seas for vacation (and isn't that just the cliché? What are they even _doing _over seas? They've never gone before!). Couldn't they let him stay with his older brother, Leon, in Twilight Town? They said no to that too, saying he was too busy studying in college, and that he didn't need to be babysitting him.

Besides, they would argue, this camp is supposed to be fun. It's got river rafting, campfires, games, team competitions, swimming, sports- everything that Sora is fond of hating. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that it isn't the sports that he hates. It's the people in it. But no matter what Sora told his parents, they would say, "Even so, you need to get your nose out of books for awhile and expend your endless energy."

What kind of parent tells their kid to stop studying?

Sora sighs as he leans on the car door. Oh, good Lord, he doesn't want to go. All the roads are gravel, hot enough to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon even under the shade of trees. To him, the whole place looks like a potential forest fire. The trees are green, but drying, and the air smells of dust and pollen. No humidity, which is much better than his home in Galveston area. Houston is always humid, whether it's freezing or one hundred degrees. But so far, this is the only perk of the camp he can see. The cabins to his left, separated by a row of boys and girls cabins, are made of wood and thus far he hasn't spotted an air conditioning unit on any of them. To his right, an administration building and a huge pool with a volley ball court. Behind that he can see the edges of a soccer/football field. By the camp map he'd glanced at a while ago, he knew past all that was a lake, huge hills/small mountains, and hiking trails. The place, to put it bluntly, was fucking huge.

"Alright dear," his mother says, slight sympathy laced in her voice, "It's time to get your stuff and look for your cabin."

"What's the number?" Sora replies tiredly; gotta do this like a Band-Aid. Rip it off quick instead of drag it out and start a fight.

His father replies, "7-B."

Sora shuffles to the trunk of the suburban. Dragging everything out (which isn't much) and trailing it behind him only takes a few moments and he sets out on the path, grunting at the suitcase for catching onto his basketball shorts and inching them down. Good thing he's early; wouldn't want them to accidently fall and pants himself. That would be his sort of luck too.

From a distance, the cabins looked separated, but they aren't. Connected by a long, dark wooded deck, it reminds Sora of a dorm hallway he had seen when helping Leon move. He struggles up the chipping stairs at the front of the large complex and scrapes by all the A's and most the B's until he reaches the very end, finalized by the wooden railing and trees just beyond. He would be the very last cabin on the left. Across from him is cabin "1-C".

He waits there for a moment, waiting for his parents to catch up. He assumes they went into the administration office to check him in and get his cabin key. When his dad finally walks up, he hands over the keys, jingling them loudly as if to attempt and bring Sora out of his regretful stupor.

He refuses to act any more enthusiastic, but he unlocks the cabin and steps in. It's very anti-climactic. Just four bunks with very old, creaky mattresses, fans bolted on the ceiling corners of the room loudly running at full blast, and a few dirty windows. It is nothing more than Sora had expected so he has no opinion on it, though his parents are obviously watching his face for a sign of one.

"Well," Sora starts, annoyed, "I guess you guys better go. You wouldn't want to miss your flight."

He knows he's being a dick to his own parents, but after all this they deserve it. They dragged him here, to a shitty camp full of activities that he wouldn't like, most likely full of people who will love all these activities and torture him. High school all over again, except he won't have his small group of friends or any textbooks to make them leave him alone.

"I guess you're right…" his mom replies, sighing and disappointed. "We will miss you so much, baby."

"Ughh, mom, not the baby names please." Despite further protests, she hugs him and Sora's dad joins in.

"It won't be that bad," his father chides in, "maybe your Miracle will happen."

His family has a strong belief in miracles; that they happen every day, that they are the deck of cards life gives you, and the day you flip a card a stare at a joker. Life's big "what if"; that movie moment that everyone waits for. That moment that everything falls into place. Dad says his was the day he met mom, and the next one was the day they got married, then Leon and Sora's births. They were full of little clichés like that. Sora secretly believes in such moments… but he also is very much relieved to get away from the pressure of waiting. This camp, he knows, won't change anything. In a whole different state, in a place he can't bear to like… It'll be a vacation from his own reality, and a shitty one, and he'll welcome it for having nothing better to do. Then he'll return home, and wait for chance to gamble with him again.

Despite himself, Sora admits softly, "I love you guys."

"We love you, too, son," they say in unison. They all laugh a little bit, and then his parents leave. When silence greets him calmly as their footsteps become too distant to hear, Sora isn't sure how to feel. Relieved? Dreadful? He decides it doesn't matter, and begins to unpack.

It's going to be a long summer.

* * *

Apparently, Riku's mom's idea of punishment is sending him away for a whole summer, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. After all the bullshit that came with life's new year's present, he has been ready to leave his city junkies for months. Sure, the camp isn't exactly what he had in mind to get away, but at least it's away from city lights and asshole drivers. He can fake his way through whatever "activities" the program has planned for him, to teach him team work and social skills or some shit his mom talked about. Just the fact that he can get away is enough.

But of course, he made his mom think that going away for the summer was the worst thing that could ever happen to him, just to make her feel like she was being a good mom. And she was… They just didn't click like most kids and their parents do. In his opinion, she was self-centered. In her opinion… well. He wasn't exactly easy to understand a lot of the time. They were more roommates than anything else.

So her red little Mazda pulls up to camp Hawkeye, tires gritting on the gravel road and she winces. Riku rolls his grey-green-blue eyes, knowing how ridiculously picky she is about her car. He leaps out of the car before it's even put in park and pops the trunk. A minute later his mom is following him, searching through her bottomless purse with vigor, yet somehow still keeping a consistent pace behind him. They reach the administration building and then she takes over, sweet talking the man running the joint. Talking about his allergies and tendency to get sick. All lies of course, but he needs any excuse he can get to stay inside for a day or two. He'll decide later if he'll pull that card.

After what feels like an eternity, he finally ends up in his cabin. Of course, he had to explain the administrator that he is _not_, in fact, a girl just because he has silver hair brushing the middle of his back. But fortunately for him, the guy glanced over his completely black attire and decided to put him in the back cabins. 1-C, to be exact. Only one other person seems to be here, as all the other rooms had obviously been left untouched, and is in the cabin across the hall.

"Alright, is that everything?" Riku asks his mom, but the question is mostly directed at himself.

"I think so honey." She looks around, slightly disapprovingly, but the silverette knows she's thinking that _she _could never stay in a place like this and that her son never crossed her mind in that train of thought. Her grey eyes turn to him, stern in an attempt to look disciplinary. It might work if she just gave a little more of a damn. "Remember, Riku, you're definitely allowed to have fun and make friends and all that but you're here to learn a lesson. Don't make those nice men call me about you. Got it?"

"Yeah, Mom," he replies quickly, sighing, "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Right," she finishes, walking over to him and kissing his forehead. She has to lean up a little bit though; he has finally out grown her. "I love you, Ri."

"I love you too, Mom," and it isn't a lie. She may drive him up the fucking wall twice over in a two minute span, but she's all he's got and he doesn't intend to lose her. "If any guy gets too touchy or stalkerish and you don't like it, don't try to handle it on your own. I will protect you."

This earns him a hug, and she sighs, "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, little prince. Don't change… Well. Change your behavior. But not your heart. Ok?"

"You worry too much. I heard you earlier." She laughs and releases her son.

"Alright, I'll see you later. Keep in touch."

"Bye, Ma." And with that, she's gone. Only two minutes later he can hear her barreling out of the place like a bat out of hell. A city girl doesn't belong in a place like this. She's flying to her social nest, like she's twenty again with no baby boy to take care of. The separation, though, will be good for both of them.

Riku, thinking about all this, ties his hair up with his first hair band of the summer. He packed a whole hundred of them, knowing how they mysteriously disappear over time, and they are the first thing he takes out of his bag and sticks it under his mattress. Guys are stealthy, thieving little bastards. Him included.

Hearing another cabin door open and close, he sets to work, unpacking and situating things the way he likes it before others come in and lay claim to space that is rightfully his. Hopefully, his dark clothes and reluctance to talk will keep the other guys staying in his cabin to leave him the fuck alone. Find another guy to be happy-go-lucky with and watch porn. He'll have none of it.

"Gaaah it's so hot!" he growls to the cabin, glaring at the fans that do absolutely nothing to help. "Where the hell is the fucking bathroom?" Maybe the first thing he should do to "learn a lesson" is watch his mouth. Something tells him none of the adults here will appreciate it. Hmm.

This is going to be a long summer.

* * *

A/N: Another actual story :) So excited! Btw, yes, this is for ANIMEFREAK4261. You wanted a camping fic and I RAN with it. Hope you like it, luv, you've been egging me on to write since the beginning. Next chapter up soon!


	2. Chapter 2: Covers and Cliches

**Chapter 2: Covers**

It must be an unspoken rule for high school students to break into groups. There is too much diversity among the campers at Hawkeye for there to be specific cliques, but by the end of the first week there are generally two groups: the ones who like sports, and those who don't. More specifically, it splits into boys and girls. There are a couple people who intermingle with the opposite sex, but generally this becomes the unspoken norm except for those few daring individuals. As if it were pre-ordained to be this way, the camp administrators say nothing about it.

Sora ends up almost completely ignored by all the guys. This was to be expected; the camp administrator knew what he was doing when he put Sora in the last cabin. Even though Sora is tan, slim, and fit in all the right areas, the other guys dub him as scrawny nerd and use him as a scapegoat in dodge ball. _So flippin' cliché. _However, he manages to make friends with essentially the entire girl population, saying he's _so_ adorable. He's every girl's prince charming in an entirely platonic way. Friend-zoned to the extreme. But, he couldn't care less. Why would he commit to someone that he, after this summer, will never see again? Not only that, the majority only seem to care about their hair.

But there are a few people that make it past his cheerful, happy-go-lucky, I'm-an-adorable-dumbass, façade (okay, sometimes it's not a façade but he's got _some _dignity!). A sweet, blonde girl named Namine introduced herself on the first day because he had been sitting alone, and she had nowhere to go, so why not be alone together? Quiet, and very insightful, he would complain to her about anything and everything, and she seemed to understand that it was just venting, not that he is actually pessimistic. Demyx came soon after Namine, a mullet-sporting music freak who couldn't leave his guitar behind, even for the sports. He'd sit down in the volley ball field if he had to (in the middle of a game mind you) to strum a David Bowie song instead of participate. Sora suspects he only joined the group to see if he had a shot with Namine, but he could be completely off target. The brunet will not play cupid at such a stupid place as this.

The last member of their mini-group is a tall, skinny-as-hell demon with upside-down teardrop tattoos on his face (each cheek to be exact). He's the kid you're mom begs you not to be. But with the way his eyes flash, something tells Sora he simply doesn't have a mom. Or anyone for that matter. His name is Axel, teenage smoking-drinking disaster extraordinaire. He picked their group himself, calling everyone else "self-centered, vain, stereotyping failures of humanity". Considering he called Sora a "frilly, gremlin-minded pussy" and Demyx a "rock-star hipster pothead" (at this point he turned to Namine, looked at her intently, and then turned away with only a nod of acknowledgement), Sora assumed that these names were compliments in contrast to what he really thought of "everyone else".

"Damnit, you guys are boring as fuuuuu-"

"Can it, Axel. You know you can leave whenever you feel like it," Sora says, highly annoyed with the red haired's bitching.

"Everyone else is worse. But come on, there's got to be _something _more goddamn interesting than _this_," he continues, gesturing to Demyx and Namine playing chess. Albeit it is amusing to watch Demyx fail terribly at the game and his exasperated outbursts whenever Namine graciously takes one of his pawns, Sora had to admit, he is getting pretty hazy. That's how hot, stifling, and flat out uninteresting the atmosphere is.

"It would be dangerous to go outside," says Namine softly, "It's going to rain soon."

Axel winces with a dramatic face of disgust. "Damn, I hate water. But there's still got to be something better. We don't even have to go outside." Sora lazily scans the lunchroom. They are the only ones still there, aside from a few janitors and cooks, jabbering away and crashing pans in the back where the kitchen dies a slow and miserable death. The floors are white tile with a plethora of black scrape marks from clumsily disassembling lunch tables, and the ceiling looks just as tortured; the pencils, holes, and paper airplanes are like red dots of significant cities on a world map.

The heat from a week ago hasn't let up even a little bit. Even in an air conditioned building, Axel has threatened to take off his shirt three times in the last ten minutes. Demyx has his looped through to look like a makeshift bra, and Sora is tempted to roll his and make it a sweatband. Namine, wearing her usual asylum-looking white dress, is fanning herself slowly with her hand. He can't imagine how the other kids are in the cabins or playing some sort of sports outside. Surely, they'll drop like flies after only an hour from dehydration.

"We could go swimming!" Demyx suggests, hopefully looking to each face, looking for any encouragement. Sora's stomach churns. Anything _but _that, please.

Right on cue, Namine reiterates, "If it rains, it might thunder, which comes from lightening. I don't like the idea of electrocution."

"You guys," Demyx complains dejectedly, "have no vision."

"Anyone got a deck of cards?" Sora asks, thinking of his back in his cabin, "That'll give us a lot more options."

"FINALLY," the anxious red-head gasps, "someone has an idea with potential!"

That's the closest to an actual compliment Sora will probably ever get from him.

* * *

On the flip side, the silverette somehow ended up as the guys' ringleader, or god, or something. No matter what he does, the guys think it's the best thing since sliced bread. Damnit, he came here to get away from people and go into a life-coma, not make friends and organize these testosterone-filled, high-strung monkeys!

He spent most of the first week trying to avoid everyone, though it failed miserably. He blames his silver hair; it's incredibly hard to hide when your head glitters like diamonds (don't even think about mentioning Twilight. He has fists and ultra-adrenaline rushes, and he isn't afraid to use them) with just one ultraviolet ray. And there are millions at this camp, like the sun decided to set up the tent and roast marshmallows with him. By about Thursday, he just gave in and started playing sports with the guys. It's not like he had anything better to do.

"Riku! I'm open!" his Cuban (or 'south of the border', as he preferred to be called) friend calls, beckoning him to pass the soccer ball to him. Quickly scanning the field for pros and cons to this action, he makes the decision and passes it, knowing that Luis isn't a dumbass and knows soccer like the back of his hand. Not to be racist, but most the 'south-of-the-border' campmates do. Unfortunately, most of them are on one team this time, and not his. They are losing, badly, but it's still a rough game for both sides.

Riku is overheated and exhausted, but he promised them that he'd finish the game before he took off to do… something. Even he isn't sure what he'll do. He's been itching to smoke, though he wants to quit. With all this exercise, it probably isn't a good idea to start up again since he'll need his lungs… Hmm. He couldn't figure out how to get any tequila or whiskey here either… The name is Hawkeye after all. A mental image of Hawkeye from the Avengers pointing a threatening arrow at his face fills his mind. He heavily sighs. This is definitely what his mom wanted; a vacation that would be rated PG. Fan-freaking-tastic.

"You're going to make us lose," a blonde streak says, running past him with unnatural speed. Roxas, another one of his more valued guy-friends, is definitely his pessimism buddy. Doesn't mean the twerp doesn't piss Riku off though.

"This game is going on way too long. I'm going to fucking collapse," Riku yells after him, annoyed. A couple of guys raise their fists and yell, "Huzzah!" in agreement, but the game continues on. The silverette barely contains his urge to roll his eyes.

But only ten minutes later, the main administrator, whom they just call Coach, walks up, and they pause the game. Either you respect him and everything is fine, or you don't and you die. No one has questioned this yet, for fear it's true. Six foot four and probably two hundred pounds of pure muscle, the guy isn't one you joke around with. Riku is sure Coach hates him, for being scrawny by comparison and complainative 24/7. He doesn't blame him, but it makes for a pain in the ass when he needs something. Empathy and sympathy were obviously not taught in his college courses. The rumor goes that the poor man doesn't even smile. It's hard to tell, though, with his bushy brown mustache covering his mouth.

"I'm glad you are out in the sun and exercising," Coach begins in his deep, gruff voice, "but we need to get everyone involved. Jefferson, you have my permission to go to the girl's cabins and get them out onto the volleyball field. Jarrett, you run around and get everyone else. Take a couple people with you and split up." Even though they have "permission" to do these things, they are orders not privileges.

Jarrett, much to Riku's current disliking, is one of his friends. Tall and well built, Coach took a liking to him on the first day. Although this is merely because he wears sports shirts and can talk about football and baseball without sounding like an idiot, Nick (his first name) is actually a decent guy. Riku and him mostly talk about video games, speak fluent sarcasm, and have a mutual agreement to not abandon each other for the sports games. The other guys attempt to make them team captains, but they refuse to be on separate teams. About everything else, they are opposite. He's the class clown, nerd-jock while Riku is the borderline emo kid with a healthy liking to metal and a maxed-out World of Warcraft account.

His attention returns to the situation at hand. Now that he thinks about it, it might have been smarter to pack clothes _other _than the color black; maybe then he wouldn't be so hot. But, he realizes amusedly, he doesn't have any other colored clothes.

Nick sends a significant glance to Riku, Luis, and Roxas. Reluctantly, Riku shuffles over to him and the others, and they set off to find the miscellaneous people to drag them into playing volleyball. It's like junior high all over again.

* * *

They are in the middle of a BS game when a small group of kids enter the cafeteria. The tallest is a dirty-blonde jock, wearing a college football team shirt and basketball shorts, followed by a slightly shorter, dark-and-curly haired Mexican (or just South American, if he turns out to be touchy about it) with a soccer ball in his hand. Two others enter in after them, one being a light blonde shorty wearing a white band shirt and some dark blue jeans. The last one ends up coming to the front reluctantly, as if he were talked into it. It's somewhat stereotypical with his appearance, as his whole attire is black, from his short to pants to shoes and socks. He catches Sora off guard though, first with his extremely silver and soft-looking hair, longer than his own mother's; second with his eyes. His face keeps screaming out that he's cold-hearted and uncaring, but his eyes say everything the opposite. A weird mix of grey-blue-green. Once again, Sora doesn't know how to feel about it.

"Hey, uh, Coach is rounding us all up to play a game of volleyball," the silverette says. "I think it's mandatory."

Axel groans. "I _hate _sand." Namine whispers, "You hate everything…" He glares back.

Demyx, more enthusiastic, replies, "Cool! So I'm guessing you got sent out to herd the cattle?" Sora looks at him, surprised; that's the smartest thing he's said all day. Unless… he really thinks they have to herd cattle. Sora can never tell with Demyx.

"Hmm, well," Sora says, dismissing the possible IQ blunder from Demyx, "I guess we have to go then! Do you guys need help finding the others?" Sora is surprised to find that he doesn't mind the thought of playing. Too many card games, he guesses.

The Mexican-looking one says, "Run fast! We need to check some of the fields." Never judge a book by its cover; he doesn't have a Spanish accent.

Namine stands, "I'll check the girl's bathrooms."

The jock-looking blonde one snorts, "Good idea. Thanks guys, we'll head over to the football field and get the other guys there."

"Hey!" Sora says, stopping them from leaving, "In case that scary Coach stops us, we need your names so we know who we were sent by."

"I'm Luis," the soccer-ball-holding one says.

"Nick," says the jock.

"Roxas," the shortie blonde grumbles. Having not said anything before, he thought it to be unnecessary, but he felt the others' eyes on him. Axel, having a look of peaked interest, nods. "Hm."

And lastly, the makeshift leader says, "My name is Riku. But don't strain yourself to remember it."

"Nice to meet you," Sora says with a smile. A couple smile back, but Roxas and Riku don't.

And then they leave, and the group disperses.

* * *

Once everyone finally gets onto the court, the Coach designates Nick and a very sporty brunette girl named Courtney as team captains (go figure). Sora waits to be picked by Nick, thinking since they have acquaintance, he'll pick him just because he comes to mind more easily (Psychology 101, thank you). But, apparently with Nick it's out of sight, out of mind. As usual, Sora ends up being in the last round of pick'ns. It's Nick's turn to choose, and his eyes meet Sora's. But then the silver-haired one (was his name Ruki? Or Ryki? Something like that) whispers in Nick's ear and his eyes shift away.

"Kid in the blue." Sora isn't wearing blue. Sora drops his eyes to the ground; it's stupid shit like this that gets to him. What is _so _wrong with him that he's always the last one? So what, he isn't masculine, but they picked the flamboyantly gay guy/girl (no one can tell which) before him! Tears rush to his eyes, and he knows crying will only make it worse. He isn't sure if it's because he's actually hurt, or if he's just so fucking angry that no matter where he goes, people treat him this way.

The sporty slut team captain says, "Alright, spiky haired kid, you're with us."

_I've never been with anyone._

* * *

_This game is bullshit. _Riku thinks as he watches the ball jump from one side of the net to the other. The teams had been terribly divided because of Courtney, and over half of each team doesn't actually want to play. The whole thing has become a typical high school drama.

He overheard from a couple guys that they were going to try to sneak away with the spiky haired kid and "teach him a lesson" if he ended up on their team. There has been grumbling among the guys about how (uh… starts with an 'S'…) Sora is always with the girls, being told their secrets, given hugs, etc. The whole feud, that he knows the poor sap isn't even aware of, is juvenile but he doesn't want to get involved. He doesn't need to start or end any fights. Playing the good kid, remember? But the least he could do is get Sora on the other team. Though, by the look on his face when Nick picked the guy who looked like he might possibly have rabies, he might've made things worse. Hmm.

Of course, now the brunet in question is playing nicely, enthusiastically, and joking with all the girls on his team. Goodness, the boy is practically a girl himself… Wait, no. That's not it. He's a… hero. A complete, total happy-go-lucky, pure-hearted, the-world-is-a-field-of-flowers hero. Riku shakes his head, watching a clumsy girl on his team barely scrape the ball over the net. He hates those types. One day, they all have to wake up and realize life isn't so pretty. And they are always the ones who make the biggest deal out of it, when their perfect worlds are shattered. Maybe letting the guys rough him up a bit wouldn't be such a bad thing but… Well, that would take too much effort. He'll probably just let it happen and not get involved next time. His kindness has an expiration date and it passed about five minutes ago.

* * *

"What an _ASSHOLE!_" Axel exclaims, walking with Sora back to the cabins after the game.

"Will you just drop it?" Sora responds, exasperated. Now that he's worked off all that anger with revengeful happiness and enthusiasm, he's feeling a lot better; just exhausted. All the girls told him that he was great, and that he really saved the day, and that the team captains were just stuck up so… Well even though they were pity compliments, they did help. He doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

"I will not! Seriously, what was that dickhead's deal?"

"Axel."

"I mean, I know it's only game but the silver-face obviously had it out for you-"

"AXEL. This isn't the first time I got picked last, okay? I don't need your help or pity."

"Yeah, and I'm guessing you kicking ass in the game and being all smiley and shit was your version of revenge? No, man, that works with break ups, but not shit like this. This is disrespect between two men. You have to prank him."

"I have to what?" This is the most ridiculous speech the brunet had probably ever heard in his life. Granted, the red head got Sora's tactics right on target, but the pyromaniac lost him when he mentioned pranking. Wouldn't that just be stooping to his level?

"Prank him. You know, egg his cabin, put itching powder in his clothes, spike his drink with X… that's how we solve everything at home."

Sora does not want to ever go where he lives.

"Axel…" he starts, sighing, "I really don't want to turn this into a prank war. It's stuff that happens in books and T.V. shows."

"Granted, but they are completely possible. Do you want to be picked on the whole summer? You want to be the girls' personal baby boy? Do you want the guys to try and give you swirlies every time Coach looks away?"

"That won't happen," Sora mutters stubbornly.

"I bet you a hundred bucks that if you even wait a day, you'll get more shit if you don't get a move on."

"You may be right, but I'll wait till that happens. I'm not going to jump the gun."

Finally, Axel sighs. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

The guys act sooner than Riku thought they would. At about two in the morning, (according to his wristwatch) he hears heavy footsteps across the deck outside coming towards his cabin. If they are trying to be surreptitious, they are doing a terrible job, but he realizes a moment later that it's not him they are after. If that Sora kid is asleep…

He told himself that he wouldn't get involved. This is always how he gets into fights by meddling in affairs that have nothing to do with him. Hate the daytime heroes, and then hypocritically becomes one himself. But, maybe these guys will listen to him… but they might not…

Usually, Riku can make a decision a stick with it, no problem. But the truth is, this time he really does want to change; not for his mom, but for himself. He just doesn't know how to make himself "better". In his opinion, if someone is in trouble, you help them… but that's how he got so messed up last year, so there must be something wrong with that, right? Even though that's all taken care of now, what is there to learn from it? Keep your head low, take it slow, and stand only for yourself? It even sounds selfish in his head. Riku sighs, but then strains his ears to listen.

The door across from him opens and a bunch of shuffling ensues. Silence. Silence. Silence. And then the door slams and he can hear Sora's muffled voice unmistaken from when he heard it earlier.

"Mmmrg! Hmm-mmg-mmf!"

"Shut up!" Riku hears a slap. Noisy shuffling and perhaps more struggling. Sora continues to fight with his voice, but it's just not loud enough to reach anyone. Not only that, most of the guys are probably in on it and either approve or don't care. Some are also asleep; if Riku weren't such a light sleeper, he probably would have slept right through it. Riku sighs again. Should he stop them or let it happen? Part of him thinks the happy brunet deserves a reality check, but another part of him, probably just his old conscience, wants to make sure he comes out alright.

Glaring at the boy's bunks around him, full of sleeping, useless teenagers, he punches a wall. A couple boys turn over in their bunks, but no one asks questions or indicates that they are awake. Riku stands, shuffling quietly around to look for his shoes, and when he finds them he puts them on. _They are probably too far away now to even follow them._

But he leaves the cabin anyway, closing the door behind him quietly. Wearing all black like usual, the only thing he has to add for stealth is a black beanie to cover most of his hair. Hopefully the moonlight (a half-crescent) won't cause any of his hair to shine too badly.

He hears a crash in the distance and a loud curse word. The silverette rolls his eyes; these guys are extremely inexperienced with stealth, organization, bullying, pranking.. and the list could go on. Sora should count himself lucky… But then again, with his type, he probably doesn't know the difference. Has probably pissed his pants already.

Riku walks faster, paying no mind to the gravel crunching under his shoes. If the administrators weren't woken by those idiots, they certainly won't find Riku waltzing by. He follows the slight trail made by Sora's dragging feet (in some areas it gets iffy, most likely because of a renewed struggle) until he gets to the edge of the surrounding forest. _They must be really commited, _Riku thinks, _'cause they took him past the river._

So he continues until the shuffling and cursing and talking gets louder and louder. Then he sees them, in a clearing just wide enough for them with a large tree. They've tied Sora to it haphazardly, like he had been moving too much to make it any neater. Riku believes that, considering how flat out furious the usually cherub teen looks. His cheeks are flushed, and his usually blue eyes are shining like chlorine water in the moonlight. The way they glare daggers at the others, he's surprised they didn't give up already. But it could just be the lighting. However the brunet seems to have stopped fighting. Riku notices that he's breathing heavily; Riku must've just missed the main struggle. Four guys against one is rather unfair, the silverette thinks, but he doesn't move from his hiding spot behind a tree. He'll just look on and make sure they don't actually murder him or anything.

After several minutes of double and triple tying rope around the tree and Sora, the guys stop and stare at Sora for a moment, maybe a little surprised they had gotten this far or wondering what to do next. But then, one of them speaks.

"You must think you're so damn important. Got all the ladies as your BFF's painting their toe nails and shit."

Another one picks up, "You think they're all yours, that you're hot shit? No, they don't care about you at all."

"And you want to know why I know that?" Sora just stares at them, cold and completely unfeeling. He doesn't even blink. If duct tape weren't on his mouth, Riku is sure wouldn't be saying a word either.

The boys, standing in a line, wait for some sort of acknowledgement, but it doesn't come. One of them spits on the ground. "Well, I'll tell you why. You are going to go missing for a day. And no one will look for you. Hell, half of the people won't even notice you're gone. And while you're mysteriously absent, you'll think about your worth. Time to take off the tights and put your big boy panties on."

They take a couple steps back. "See you in a day… or two, if we remember."

"Hope you ate a lot of dinner."

And finally, they walk away. Riku backs up a couple trees, making sure he isn't seen. He continues to watch as they walk away, looking over their shoulders to make sure Sora doesn't magically escape. Stupid. Soon, they start running and crashing through the forest, laughing their asses off and quoting each other. They talk about being masculine and manly and then quote each other like a group of girls after a chick flick? Riku sighs. Despite how senseless this whole thing is, why does he feel like it's going to become a big deal? Hmm.

Riku looks away from the trail they created and turns back to Sora. He catches the tail end of his blue eyes rolling. The silverette continues to observe, closely watching as Sora takes a couple deep breaths, trying to calm himself, and looks around. The blue orbs stay concentrated on the ground, searching for anything he could maybe use to unbind himself. But there isn't anything. All the sticks of substantial size had been broken by their struggles and if there were anything, it is simply too dark to see. The shadows make everything seem bigger or smaller and Sora is never sure which is which. Not that he could reach any of it anyway.

Riku is impressed the kid hasn't broken down yet, but he continues to watch. He knows how long adrenaline can last. But the calmer Sora gets, the more he seems to get upset, which would normally be opposite but this is a special case. Riku can tell this is his first truly 'bullying'. Riku thinks about how the world really is and thinks this is definitely the dose of reality the kid needs but… Well, if those guys don't get him tomorrow, Riku will. Even a day is pushing it in this kind of heat. The shade should prevent anything like a heat stroke though. There isn't anything truly dangerous or life threatening that he can think of.

Just as he turns to leave, he hears a rough sniff. The silverette turns back. Even though Sora's face is hidden by shadow and turned towards the ground, the moon glints against the tears that fall. That's the break he was watching for. _Pathetic. _Having fully made up his mind, Riku walks away.

* * *

Sora's anger sparks once he sees the silver hair glinting as Riku walks away, causing his eyes to water and drop. It's the same goddamn guy. What _is _his problem? And why Sora? Axel was right. Apparently he must earn respect from these _boys_ trying to acting as men, or they will walk all over anything they can get ahold of. Its people like _them _that make his blood curl. If he didn't meet people like the silverette all the time back at home, he'd take it personally.

Sora doesn't even care about being tied to a tree; technically the kidnappers could have done more. Before he was sure they were dragging him out to fight him, expecting Sora not to fight back. Of course, they wouldn't have succeeded with that plan. Sora took a lot of martial arts after turning eight. What bothers him is that they're leaving him there for a full day, standing, and he can't feel his hands. No one can stand all day.

Aside from their situational stupidity, their logic is just pathetic! They are jealous he can talk to the girls, so they give him a reason to go crying to them? Maybe they should try _not _being dickwads. Then he's sure the girls would get along with them just fine.

His thoughts get more and more spread out, picking a point and going off in a tangent. And then another point. And another. None of it makes sense anymore but all his hopes for this camp- to stay in the shadows, make a few tentative friends, and be _normal _and _insignificant_ for once- have been shattered. The boys who tied him up didn't know that he already _wanted_ to be what they told him he was; worthless. Just for this camp. But the fact that they went through all this trouble to "make" him feel this way proves that he's _not_ nothing to them. A threat has a lot of value, depending on the degree and the offence. If they are going to truly keep him there for a full twenty four hours, obviously he has a high value.

This doesn't give him confidence like it ought to. Instead his attention is turned to the sky as it rumbles like a drowsy lion. So dark, even the moon has fled. But then he realizes it's the rain clouds that Namine had been worried about earlier today.

_Are you __**kidding **__me right now? Rain? Now?_

It doesn't take more than five minutes for it to start sprinkling. That's when the brunet truly starts to panic. Flashbacks.

_Trapped. Can't move. Oh god, water rising. Where are-_

"_I'm sorry, Mr. Shaffer, for your loss. We need to-"_

"_It's just a small hurricane, son. We'll be staying here while it passes."-_

_Glass breaking. Pressure too much for the house. Hammers on the ceiling; it's just rain. It's just rain. It's just-_

"_Sora! Sora you have to leave and go get help!"_

"_But where? Momma where should I go?"_

"_Just go, baby, go!"_

He had never heard his mom talk that way; panicked, scared. It had made Sora scared, so scared that he didn't think. He just left, like she had said, searching for help. Like there would be help in the middle of a hurricane that everyone evacuated.

Nothing can truly scare Sora, except being stuck in one place. Because it makes him helpless, hopeless. He can't even save himself.

The tears continue to fall as the rain falls maliciously, soaking his clothes and the rope. He knows it'll cause him to have rope rashes everywhere, but that's the last thing on his mind. The drops keep falling, as if each one were designated to trigger another memory that he doesn't want to see. His adoptive parents think he suffers from amnesia from all that had happened. If only they knew.

* * *

A/N: Whew. This chapter seems more like number two instead of one, but hey now theres more understanding of Sora's character (or... not) and Riku as well. They are definitely getting off on the wrong foot. Things will get better though, I promise. Writing and situation!

Thank you for all the reviews! I enjoyed them all immensely :) If you catch any typos I might have made, let me know so I can fix it. Tell me what you think please :3 I like knowing places I can improve upon and brainstorming ways in which to do that. Love you guys! Updates soon!

-muah- Hannahble


	3. Chapter 3: 52Card PickUp

**Chapter 3: 52-Card Pick-up**

"Can't I just kick his ass?"

The fury Sora emits is almost tangible, like driving on a lonely highway on a hot summer day where the heat waves distort the distance. Jaw clenched, knuckles white, and fire in his eyes, very few people would even think to taunt Sora but because Demyx, Namine, and Axel are all looking away from him, they don't receive the warning signs.

"Sora!" Namine gasps quietly, "You don't seem like a violent person." Her eyes stay on her hands, holding seven cards.

"I'm not. But this is bullshit."

"Potty mouth," Demyx butts in, sticking his tongue out like an emoticon. The fiery blue eyes flash.

"Shut the-"

"Front door. Demyx, could you get that for us?" Axel finally takes the brunet seriously, peering at him with curious, narrowed eyes.

Grumbling, the mullet man gets up and stalks over to the door. Meanwhile, Axel puts his cards face down on the plastic white tables and turns to Sora, concerned. He whispers, "Okay, I agree, that prank they pulled wasn't really a prank. But you can't just go around and beat up four guys. I get in trouble all the time but that would be pushing it, even for me."

"I don't care about the idiots who tied me to a tree."

"Who are you so angry at then?" Namine asks, still able to hear their conversation.

"That jackass Riku," Sora growls, "He's the one that organized it all. The game, and then he sent those guys after me. I saw him walk away after the guys left."

"Isn't that jumping to conclusions?" Axel considers, holding his chin in a classic thinking pose.

"I don't care. He obviously thinks I'm pathetic and can be pushed around. Just that deserves a punch in the face."

Axel and Namine share a glance.

That's when Demyx comes back. "A guy like that doesn't care about pain. That won't make him respect you, because you'll be on his level. You need to humiliate him, hurt his pride a little bit."

This time they all look at him, shocked that he had such a brilliant idea. Of course, Axel and Namine grimace a little bit, knowing that this would only encourage Sora more. But, to their surprise, Sora sighs.

"I know… I'm just. Angry." And that would be an understatement. Sora is furious, but having so much rage contained in his small, cherub body is getting harder and harder to handle. Any time he would get frustrated at home, he'd just go to his martial arts classes' studio. There'd always be someone there willing to spar. But now, being irate at one person, he knew that fighting others wouldn't satisfy his emotion. Riku had made it personal.

He ended up tied to that tree for a day and three-quarters. A total of 42 hours. He had passed out after the first twenty four hours from a mix of hunger, thirst, and the inability to move. It'd been a psychological reset. Something about it changed Sora, or at least his outlook. That there wasn't something wrong with _him _but with everyone else. That the Miracle in life isn't discovered, it's made. He came to the camp to take a break from waiting, to pass time, but now if anything the camp has turned into a training and battle ground. He isn't sure what side of himself- the cheerful, loving Sora or the angry, get-it-done Sora- will win.

But the transition is unstable because of the strange kindness he woke up to after being tied to the tree so long. Sora doesn't know who untied him. He doesn't think it was the four guys, because they would have woken him up and tormented him while the brunet was at his weakest. Instead the rope was in a neat pile about ten yards away and whoever it was left out a couple bottles of water and food, as if they knew Sora wouldn't have enough energy to walk all the way back. There wasn't any note to say who it was or why. Just thinking about it makes Sora want to cry in frustration; he just doesn't understand what he's supposed to learn from all this. Are people good or bad? To be trusted or not?

But alas, he couldn't cry even if he wanted to. Too many tears shed in the rain because of all the memories, and too much dehydration. Although the saltines and granola bars left out for him helped, the lack of food and water might account for his terrible mood too, but he can't think well enough to blame anything but the silverette.

"Well, let's just prank him then," Axel concedes, "But, you need to eat and drink a whole bunch of water, Sora... So just leave it to me."

_So this is what Axel looks like when showing concern. _Sora thinks, smiling a little at the red head to show he agrees. Axel pats his shoulder, the only thing he knows to show sympathy and understanding. Namine stands from her and Demyx's goldfish game (they decided that the game with Axel was doomed anyway) and walks to the kitchen to sweet talk the ladies into giving them extra food.

"I don't get it," Sora finally says, looking to Demyx and Axel, "Why do you respect me when everyone else doesn't?"

To this, they don't and can't respond. Axel gathers the miscellaneous cards strewn across the table and starts shuffling them until he finally shrugs. Demyx whips out his guitar and starts playing random chords.

_I guess they don't know either._

* * *

Riku hadn't seen it coming.

Where he's from, if you have a problem with someone, you fight it out. And then you make a truce and it's over. But apparently, whoever did this has a twisted sense of revenge. And the best part? Riku isn't even sure what he did.

Roxas is still on the floor laughing. Laughing so hard, he's crying.

"Roxas, I _will_ kill you."

"Aha! Ha… go haha! Ahead…" Riku watches him in disgust; the floor is grimy and more easily mistaken for a swamp disease. No amount of humor is worth touching that. But even more importantly…

"Nick, Luis, do either of you know how to fix this shit?" Riku asks, desperately.

"Uhm," Nick starts, trying very hard not to smile, "Come out of the closet?"

"Oh, fuck you too!"

"No thanks. I don't swing that way," he continues, winking. Riku groans, and turns toward the boy's bathroom mirror. It's hard to look.

Most pranksters pick a color when they dye someone's hair. Like bright pink, or green, or blue. But no, this person, whoever it was, decided to go with the freakin' rainbow. And on very shiny, almost glittery silver hair, it turned out _very _well. His roots are purple, and then it transitions to blue, then green, then yellow, orange, and red. So even if he puts his hair up, the colors don't blend together. No matter what he does, he can't hide the gay flag on his head (it's not a problem with gays he has, but the ridicule of those who do have problems with them). The previously-silverette isn't one to be embarrassed, but at the moment all he can think about it how nice it would be to melt into the wall.

"Te ves como una piñata…" Luis snickers, so amused the Spanish slips out.

"Did you just call me a piñata?" Riku asks, exasperated. He pulls his hand through his hair, tugging as if it would all fall out and magically grow back silver.

"No, I said you look like one," the Cuban says, laughing harder even though he got caught in his Spanish.

"I'm going to deport you…" Riku mutters, glaring at all of them.

"Man, whoever did this knew what they were doing," Nick says, "They used heavy stuff."

"Will it wash out?"

"Eventually it won't be as saturated," Luis explains, "My sister dyes her hair all the time. The colors always fade, but it takes a couple weeks and a lot of showers."

Finally able to breath, Roxas inputs breathlessly, "Chlorine might help too."

"I hate swimming," Riku complains. He puts his hair up, thinking maybe it'll look a little better. It makes Roxas and Nick laugh again before he can even put the tie all the way on.

"Whoever did this didn't have a very original prank," Roxas muses, "But damn, they knew how to make it awesome."

"Awesome? This is a nightmare!" The only thing Riku will become un-masculine-y about is his hair. He bangs his head on the wall a couple times in mourning.

"Put the hat on, mi amigo," Luis says, "It'll make it look like you have red tips and blonde hair underneath.

Following his instructions, he quickly learns the notion was too good to be true. It only covers the purple and blue. The distinction between the green, yellow, orange, and red is unmistakable.

Riku simply doesn't know what to do with himself. If he gets angry, he'll look like a pansy. If he pretends like he's okay with it, it'll look like he did it himself. If he gets depressed about it, they'll think he's gay. There is no route to save dignity. None at all. His blood starts to boil.

And who did this anyway? His first instinct is Sora, but it wouldn't make sense that Riku would get the hair dye and those idiots who tied him to the tree wouldn't. He knows that if others were pranked too, he would have heard about it already. Riku's pretty sure Sora didn't see him walk away from him a couple nights ago, so none of it adds up.

The girls love his hair, insisting that it should never be cut or tainted, so that rules them out. He also has an unnatural respect from the guys, so that doesn't make sense either. Riku growls in frustration. He can't even ask his (rudely amused) friends for help because they don't know about him following the guys who pranked Sora, or about him untying the exhausted brunet later.

_Useless bums._

* * *

Sora can barely contain his laughter when Coach forces Riku to stay out of the games. The girls immediately start to pair him with other cute guys at the camp, trying to match-make them. So much for their alleged love of his silver locks. The guys, on the other hand, predictably start avoiding him, not wanting to be seen or attacked by any fan girls. Finally, the all-black-wearing kid finally has an emo facial expression to reinforce it.

"Axel, you are a brilliant genius mastermind," Sora says as he runs past third base. When he gets to home, he turns back to the red head; he winks.

"Home run! Score is now 24 to 8." The coach says, sending the next person in line up to bat.

There's no way the other team can win, as they are in the ninth inning. They don't even have enough teammates to catch up, but the coach insists they play anyway. Just as well for Sora. Each game is like another dose of self-esteem, watching Riku be forced to play cheer leader with his fabulously fagatory hair. It doesn't help that Sora's teams consistently win.

Sora lets himself giggle a very unmanly giggle, elated that things seem to finally be going his way. From across the field, he sees one of the guys glare at him. He gives them a fierce grin, a challenge.

Demyx had warned him that there might be some guys who come to defend Riku and try to fight Sora. The brunet only smiled back and said, "All I ask is that you hold my water when I kick their asses."

Sora may have huge, almond eyes, a round, feminine face and more curves than some of the girls at the camp, but no one can tell him he isn't a badass at kicking it . Of course, he hasn't been able to reveal this skill… But with the way some of the guys are looking at him now, Sora's hopes for a grand re-opening are rising. The male population still seems to hate him for his favor with the women, but after hearing about the prank, they can't help but have a little fear. Still smiling after that? Treating it as if it's nothing? That's his forte! And they hate every second of it.

* * *

That punk is pushing it. Riku glares at the brunet for a full game, hating him with every fiber of his being, but the brunet doesn't even spare him a glance. The way he smiles as if he hasn't been hurt once in his entire life, the way he struts around as if he owns the place… Well, that's only what Riku perceives right now. And deep down, Riku knows that envy is the main driving force for his rage. But here the once-silverette is, sitting out with bright, loud, obnoxious hair being absolutely humiliated, when he's the only reason Sora is even back at the camp today! How is it that Riku ended up being punished for doing the right thing? He still doesn't even know who did it for sure, but his suspicion to Sora grows every minute out of pure anger. No one cuts Riku down; he can get in trouble, screw things up, but no one hurts his pride.

_The cherub didn't even _learn_ anything from getting tied to that damn tree!_ Riku thinks, justifying himself. The only evidence of change in Sora is that his eyes are darker. Anyone could tell him that's only an insignificant physical change but Riku knows for a fact that's not all there is to it. But what exactly is he thinking? What is he going to do? His outlook on life seems to not have changed and the brunet does not seem the type to be an actor. In all his fury, Riku can't help but think about all the things he could do to _make _him learn the truth about this cruel life.

Roxas sits next to him. "So what are you going to do about this?"

"I don't know," Riku says, hissing through gritted teeth.

The spiky-haired blonde doesn't continue the conversation, and Riku isn't sure if he's coming up with ideas or he's just uncaringly staring at the game. Either one is highly possible. Soon, though, Nick and Luis join. _They seem to follow me around more, _Riku thinks, _are they trying to show they are worried…?_

Riku isn't particularly used to having someone be concerned for his well-being. Usually, it's his job to look after everyone else but the thought that they might be trying to be supportive makes him feel a little better.

Nick clears his throat, and Riku turns to him. Shrugging, he says, "I'm not much a planner for pranks but… we could just throw him in the lake or something. Quick and easy."

Luis interjects, "Isn't there a Triathlon coming up anyway?" A triathlon is a race with running, biking, and swimming. If they could humiliate Sora in one of these things…

Riku mulls this over. "How would be make it into a pay-back type of ordeal though?"

They fall silent, thoughtful.

"We are not good at this," Nick mutters sheepishly. Luis nods in agreement. "I'm better at giving myself trouble, not other people."

Nick laughs, replying, "I don't think the government would agree with that!"

"I am a US citizen, for the last time!"

"Yeah, uh huh, that's what they all say."

"Shut up, doofus, I have an idea," Roxas snaps, "If one of us can get into his cabin, we could break his goggles and take his trunks. Stuff like that."

"Ah… and then he won't be able to compete!" Nick says, catching on, "Brilliant! He won't like that at all. Take it from me."

They believe the blonde; he loves sports just as much as Sora does.

"Thanks, guys." And they all high five like the inner-cheerleaders they are.

* * *

The day of the triathlon starts like any other; small talk with friends, eating the normal mystery that is lunch, playing random useless games to pass time. But Sora is secretly breaking down. Through breakfast, he's able to fake the smile and hide the nervousness. While hanging with Axel in the game room, he distracts himself by playing Modern Warfare 2 while Demyx and Namine attack a checker board. Demyx is super pumped for the swimming portion of the race; water seems to be his thing. Axel complains about the whole thing, saying he didn't come here to make himself any skinnier than he already is. Namine quietly mentions that running had never been something she has enjoyed, or been good at for that matter. With her petite stature and her slow, dainty way of moving, it's easy to believe.

Sora keeps his mouth shut however. No complaints. If he dares to make a comment, he'll turn into a blubbering mass, incoherent and hyperventilating.

He. Hates. Water.

And even that's an understatement. It's a phobia, a trigger to memories he doesn't want to see. It turns him into a person he doesn't want to be. It's a skill he doesn't have. If only he didn't have such a vivid memory. Perhaps then he would have repressed at least some of them out of sanity and convenience reasons.

The T.V. is low, not wanting any of the staff hearing the game, but Sora still takes pleasure from the faint "Huh!" and "Ughnn!"s of fighting and dying. And the shots ringing out like a fast techno song.

"Only you would think to bring your Xbox," Namine comments unapprovingly.

"Well, my cousin doesn't deserve having it. My aunt and uncle can suck it."

"What are you, Harry Potter?" Sora asks, snickering at the thought of the "almighty tallest" (as he calls himself) living in the cupboard under the stairs.

"Essentially," Axel admits, grimacing, "Though it's also good entertainment as I did not want to stay in the sun much."

Just then, they hear the Coach calling out through his portable loudspeaker that lunch is served. Thirty minutes afterward, the Triathlon would start. Sora swallows and puts his controller down on the couch delicately.

"Well, looks like your wish isn't coming true, Axel."

* * *

The lunch table is particularly quiet while Nick and Luis are gone, breaking into Sora's cabin and thieving the brunets various swimming items. The silverette hopes they return before lunch ends, but he knows there isn't a high possibility.

So Riku looks to Roxas, who is drawing through the gravy left on his plate. To start a conversation, Riku comments sarcastically, "You're such a great artist, Roxas."

The blonde glances up, too surprised by the voice to glare. He mutters back, "I don't appreciate your sarcasm, rainbow face."

"First of all it's my hair. And second, this is fixable, thanks ever so much. You're height, however, isn't… midget."

This is how they get along, insulting.

"I rather have to compensate for height up, rather than out," the witty blonde responds, sticking his tongue out. And no, he does not mean his stomach diameter.

"Ohh… that's just low. Fuckin' low." For once, the blonde genuinely giggles.

"Do you think there are a lot of homophobes here?" Roxas suddenly asks.

The silverette looks back at the short one oddly, wondering where such a question came from. Seeming to be seriously contemplating the question, Riku responds to him hesitantly, "….Guys, yes. Girls… well, they are more and more rare. I guess it kind of depends on what state we're in."

"Hmm. Do you even know which state it is?"

"No clue," Riku says, smiling in a cocky way. Roxas just laughs.

The turquoise eyes catch sight of the brunet spikes he had come to loathe, however, and so suddenly the mirth is lost. Riku watches closely as the lithe body slinks into his lunch table, sitting by the punk redhead across from the mullet guy and the mute blonde. Funny how Riku, the "emo" kid with long hair, ended up with some normal blokes while Sora, the sport prodigy, ended up with the camp misfits.

That's not all he notices though. The enemy is very…twitchy today. Just the way he moves, as if he were a robot. Going through the motions, yet obviously anxious. But he can't possibly know that his stuff is being stolen. What is there for him to be anxious about? As much as Riku claims to enjoy watching him squirm, privately he feels a twinge of worry.

"What are you so sullen about?" The blonde asks, turning to look in his direction.

Riku panics, explaining, "Nothing! Just wondering if those idiots are planning anything."

"Don't be paranoid. Why would they be?"

"I dunno," Riku responds sheepishly. He returns to playing with the food on his plate.

* * *

Sora decides he can't delay any longer. Most of the girls had their bathing suits on under their clothes a whole hour ago, and most guys had returned from slipping on their trunks. Reluctantly, he bids his friends adieu and steps out of the table carefully, body shaky from dread.

Walking out, loneliness comes to say hello. Situations like this always remind him that no matter how genial or amiable he is, no matter how many friends he makes, he is always alone in the horrors of his past. The only one carrying the guilt. When he was escorted to the hospital and they told him his little sister, mother, and father had died, they didn't say how. They thought he didn't know, didn't remember. But he wasn't as young as he looked. At eight years old, he knew it was _his _fault they drowned. He was sent out to find help, but there was none. He should have died with them; why does he live and they don't?

The gravel crunches under his feet as he follows the path toward the boy's cabins. There's a comforting breeze through the air, but it only makes him twitch. The trees surround the whole camp like a barrier, messaging loud and clear: _you are trapped here. _Of course, it's a nonthreatening message, but annoying and currently depressing in content. Perhaps if he had less inner strife, he'd find it all beautiful. The scenery is certainly nothing to scoff at.

But all that disappears when he reaches the cabins, the wooden ceiling and surroundings blocking the view. It takes no more than five seconds to reach the end of the rooms. He unlocks his cabin door quickly and steps in… To find the disaster of another prank.

His clothes are strewn about the floor but in a way that suggests someone had been searching for something. Sora sighs, bending over to account for everything.

And then a huge smile creeps onto his face. They, whoever it was, took his swimming trunks and goggles.

* * *

All four of them watch Sora trapeze over to Coach.

"He doesn't seem very upset."

"He's not upset at all."

"He looks _happy!_"

Riku grits his teeth, agreeing with his comrades' observations. The brunet looks more than just happy though; it's pure _relief._ They watch as Sora animatedly tells the bulky man of his plight with a bright smile. Able to read his lips even from a distance, he confirms that Sora is insisting he can't swim due to mysteriously disappeared swim trunks and even worse, no goggles.

Riku groans, wanting to punch himself for having pulled a backfiring prank. Nick curses under his breath; he must've really thought it would work too.

Luis sighs, "I guess the bloke didn't like swimming in the first place."

But then the Coach begins his reply, and Sora's smile fades. The silverette ignores his friends' conversation (mulling over what they might do to prank the brunet next) and attempts to read the Coach's lips. All he makes out is that Sora has to swim anyway.

But he gets this information by the blue-eyed boy's reaction, not by the intimidating Coach (how could he read his lips anyway with his bushy, brown mustache?). Sora pales with every word the man says and his shoulders sag. As if someone pressed the shut-down button on Windows. Then the small hands start twitching and fidgeting. Despite all this, the brunet nods when the dictator is done speaking. Sora walks away, looking very much defeated.

"It looks like a success after all," Riku says, his flat voice reflecting the exact opposite.

"Hmm?" Nick says, suddenly hopeful, "What, does he have to swim in his clothes anyway?"

"It looks that way."

Nick and Luis high five. Roxas, smiling, bows to the previously-silverette and says, "May your wonderful hair be revenged."

Despite himself, Riku can't bring himself to feel excited for the race.

* * *

Every fiber of Sora's being screams to bolt; being tied to the tree was better than this. His heart is pounding, palms shaking and sweating, knees weak. And no, he's certainly not in love with anyone or thing, unless you count the idea of crawling in bed for a couple weeks.

The brunet keeps dropping his iPod. Luckily he's still in grass, but the aggravation of his ear buds being ripped out of his ear is mounting steadily. No one seems to notice that he is an absolute mess, stumbling around, clumsily knocking into things. Every time he opens his mouth, he stutters his way through his sentences. The girls think it's adorable, and the guys sneer but what matters is that no one is going to comfort him or tell him it's going to be okay. And that is what he desperately needs.

Sora gets placed in the front row of the runner's line, while Demyx is smack-dab in the middle with Namine and Axel in the back. Riku is just a few people behind the blue-eyed wreck, but his other friends are right beside him, talking amiably and giddy. They keep stealing glances over at the brunet, but he ignores them, more preoccupied with resisting hyperventilation.

Sora tells himself he's safe for two thirds of the race, considering the first part is a three mile run, then a fifteen mile bike ride, and then a 600 yard swim. He doesn't know how many laps that would be in a normal competition pool, but it sounds agonizingly long. He guesses the bike ride is meant to decrease heart rate…

None of his speculation helps. And when the Coach counts down from three then blows his whistle (unnervingly loud too), the brunet almost pukes right then and there. But somehow he starts running. And when Sora runs, he flies.

Everything blurs as he surges forward. The trees a flurry of green. The trunks end up looking like brown walls. Not surprising, Nick is still ahead of him though, a blue and tan figure. Soon his heart rate catches up to the amount of work his body is doing and it pumps painfully in his chest. His lungs expand and deflate rapidly, keeping up with the oxygen demand. But he keeps going; maybe if he passes out before the race is over, he won't have to dive into the stank, green lake.

Nick ends up slowing down after the first mile and a half so Sora is able to catch up. Although he isn't actually trying to be competitive, he tells himself to keep going because if Nick can do it, surely he can too. And then, Nick speaks.

"Hey," a pant, "were you actually…the one who," hasty breath, "dyed Riku's hair?"

Sora sucks in a couple breaths, deciding how he should respond. "Not me… specifically."

"Why?" Nick says, suddenly a little angry, "What did he ever do to you?"

This just sparks his anger, eyes watering in frustration. Why? For everything! "Why don't… you ask… him, hmm? I was tied to… a tree for a full day… and a half."

Sora knows Nick didn't do anything wrong, but he can't help but take his rage out on him a little bit. The blonde merely looks bewildered though. To end the conversation, Sora picks up the pace even further, rushing ahead.

Why is today labeled as torture-Sora day? First he has to swim, then without goggles or swimming trunks so he won't be able to see where he's going and he'll be heavier than usual, and now this? They think _Sora _is the bad guy? They don't even know! What does he care about what they think anyway?

And just when Sora is about to pick up the pace again to blow off steam, he hits the finish line for the running portion.

* * *

By the time Riku reaches the biking portion, he's exhausted. Inwardly he curses the coach, heavily unamused by this competition. Is he trying to give all of them heart attacks? He could just imagine his mom storming in, demanding them to give her silverette back, not understanding he was dead or in the hospital. Then she'd demand a refund. And then sue them.

The thought makes him smile a little bit, but it doesn't make him feel any better. As he mounts a very blue bike with rent-a-bike on the frame in blue letters, he wonders how long fifteen miles will take. So far it sounds like cruel and unusual punishment.

Quickly, the once-silverette catches up to none other than Sora. He wasn't too far behind the faster runners in the first place, but he's surprised to see the brunet go at a non-slacking, but non-trying pace. Like before, Sora still looks pale and shaky. His steady pace is probably the only thing keeping him from kissing gravel. Once Riku gets close enough to steal a glance, he can clearly see dread and depression written all over his face. How can a person dread swimming so much?

Riku isn't sure whether to start a conversation or not. I mean, they had technically only spoken once, yet they had already done so much to each other. His eyes, his actions, and his psyche are all Riku has been able to think about for days. What is he like as a friend? What is his story? Does he have one? Being so close to the brunet reminds Riku just how much he doesn't know… and how much he _assumed _he did. This doesn't change the fact that his hair is a –insert stream of expletives- rainbow, but…

Maybe Riku should apologize, for the prank, for what the guys did, and for his unwarranted judgment. He jumped the gun and was an asshole about it. That, and he's tired of seeing the brunet miserable. He's just not good with these kinds of things; they make him bashful and nervous, which is certainly not his style. He can already feel the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. But… well, this might solve a lot of his problems. Maybe Sora will even apologize back.

"Hey," the once-silverette starts, nervously tapping the handlebars of his bike. No response. "Uhm, Sora, is it?"

Instantly, the blue eyes send daggers at Riku. The silverette winces; this is going to be harder than he thought. "I wanted to say… I'm…" he pauses for a breath and the courage to say it… "Sorry. For what those guys did to you, for taking your swim trunks and stuff, and basically everything."

The brunet remains silent, but Riku can tell he's thinking. His eyebrows are squished together in concentration. He can't help but wonder what he's thinking. Is he blushing? Or is that just from anger? Riku braces himself for the worst.

"You act like you didn't have any part in the first one," Sora says, precariously rigid, "But I know you did. I saw you. And I honestly don't give a _fuck _about my swim trunks. You think that's what's making me miserable? You don't know me, Riku, don't even pretend you know a goddamn thing."

Riku sighs, frustrated; I guess he should have figured that his own arrogance would be what would bite him in the butt. Swallowing his pride, he mutters, "I know," but it's too late. Sora has already pushed ahead, riding at a much faster pace, presumably to get away from him.

_Well, _**that** _went well._

* * *

For the longest time, Sora just stares at the lake, Riku far gone from his mind. There are already several people swimming but there are no lifeguards, making the terrified brunet even more uneasy. Most people put their clothes by their bikes, but it would just be embarrassing to swim in his boxers. Should he swim in his shirt, or take that off?

These thoughts are fleeting though, for the more he stares at the water, the more scared he becomes. He just doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want to dive in, feel the rush of cold. He doesn't want to feel the slime of the lake, the rocky bottom, the fish. He doesn't know how to swim in the first place. After getting to the deeper parts, he doesn't know what he'll do. Something tells him that if tries to explain this to Coach, it'll end the same way the last conversation did. He really doesn't need any more ridicule and that would be a free ticket.

He sucks in a deep breath and lets go of the bike. It tips and falls, clambering to the ground with a crunchy crash. Everyone has to face their fears eventually… And this would prove to Riku that he's not what the silverette thinks he is. Maybe after this, everything will be okay. This will be the worst of it; gotta reach the bottom before you climb to the top. The idea of no longer being treated terribly and perhaps even getting over his phobia goads him on despite his shivering body and shaking breath. He approaches the lake. A toe. A foot. Feet. Ankles.

He walks in for as long as he can, stopping several times just to get control of himself. Tears are streaming down his face, memories flashing before his eyes. They are almost always the same ones; his mom screaming, the house collapsing, the flooding streets, the water turning into a constant riptide, then him being carried out, almost drowning and then waking up in the hospital. Even though he often tells himself he deserved to die with his true family in that catastrophic hurricane, the truth is he doesn't want to die. That's why he can't stand water, isn't it? Unable to face what had happened, and too afraid that he'll drown again to do it.

But as he learned to correct himself before, the Miracle doesn't happen unless you change, unless you do something to make it happen. Like softly breathing on baby fire embers to make it roar to life.

He wades out until he can no longer touch the bottom, but he's not even halfway across. He starts to panic again. He's already tired from running. His clothing is weighing down on him. Everyone is either ahead of him, or not there yet. Even if he has the courage to swim, it doesn't magically give him the ability. He tries to remain calm, but it gets harder and harder for him to stay afloat. He tries to doggy paddle, but he merely stays in place. Such a silly name with such dire consequences…

He begins to sink, but he manages to get a breath before he goes completely under. He fights to reach the surface. He does it a few times, but the effort is so draining. It brings a whole new meaning to "too much effort", the predictable teen slogan. He keeps fighting for the surface, but the oxygen comes a little too late each time and he sinks lower and lower. Fighting it will cause him to lose energy faster, but not fighting will cause him to sink further.

He starts rethinking. Maybe he should have apologized to Riku back there. At least he made an effort to reconcile. Of course he doesn't know about Sora's past and who he is; no one does, not even his closest friends back at home. A scene quickly materializes in his mind of them talking and Sora explaining his problem. He can see in his mind's eye Riku pulling him through the lake with his hand. If he weren't so afraid, Sora would probably blush at himself, but instead he shakes his head. Ridiculous. His chest loses air and is filled with regret. Seems such a cruel fate to drown now, by such silly, stupid circumstances. All is fun and games until someone gets hurt; it just happens that the brunet is always the one getting harmed. Hardly anyone realized he was missing last time; how long will it take to find him this time? He doesn't think Prince Charming will save him again.

Hope dies last, but it's diminishing fast. His lungs feel as if they want to puke from burning. Such an odd combination of sensations but it's familiar. He stops fighting. He keeps his eyes open, but all he can see is foggy brown all around and sheets of light fluttering through the small particles. But of course, the seconds tick by and his vision diminishes. Sora is sickeningly lightheaded. Everything hurts. _Fucking stupid._

That's when, like a cliché movie, someone grabs his hand. The brunet doesn't have the energy to tighten his hand, barely conscious, barely registering the event. _I will probably want to remember this, _he thinks amusedly, and he almost laughs until he remembers that would cause him to choke. Everything is spotty, black, brown with black spots, rainbow, pale skin, brown… black…. Black… nothing.

The next thing he really registers is gravel making little caves in his back. Meh. But hey, at least he's breathing. Wait. He still isn't. Hmm. He wills his body to do it… but nothing happens. He realizes his body is very…silent. When a heart beats for 17 years, the brain doesn't register it's beat anymore as a sensation… but he recognizes the absence of it now. If he could, he'd panic. There's a possibility of him dying. Come this far just to die?

He realizes his eyes are still open. Getting his brain to focus on anything is a battle. The distinction between body and spirit is astonishing to him, as a picture slowly forms from his eyes. The glare from the sun hides the face of the body looming over him. _CPR, dumbass._ Someone pushes the body out of the way so the shadow is on the other side. He recognizes one of the staff managers. And then his chest is convulsing, but it's definitely not his doing. He knows water is spurting from his mouth. It's tickling his ears vaguely. Air going through his windpipe. So forced, it feels absolutely terrible, stretching his chest in the most painful way. Pushing. Breathing. Pushing. And…

Suddenly he's able to do it on his own. With adrenaline he didn't think his body would have, he sits up and hurls water, but not from his stomach. It's so agonizing to take in air, but he forces himself to take in deep, panicky inhales. The fog goes away from his vision and slowly his thinking kick starts, like adding RAM to a computer or a Swiffer broom to a neglected attic.

"Th-thank," cough gag, "you."

They lay him back down. "Just sit there for a couple minutes, we're getting a stretcher."

He just nods, enjoying breathing again despite the pain. _Slipped out of Death's fingers again. _He turns his head to ignore the sunlight straight overhead. Over yonder stands Riku in all his rainbow-hair glory. If he had the energy, he'd chuckle. I'm sure he loved watching this- Wait. Rainbow. Did he…. Was he the one who... Saved him? He suddenly remembers their conversation from before, and his glimpses in the water.

Their eyes meet. Yes. Yes he had. Sora suddenly feels like a fool for hesitating forgiveness. Especially now. Well aware just how short life can be, he decides he can't wait another minute. Barely loud enough to be heard, but distinct enough, Sora croakily speaks. "I'm," clears throat, "Sorry… too," more coughing, "Thanks."

Blame it on his mental exhaustion, or his trauma, or his spiritual upheaval but his breath hitches (which is saying something, considering his poor lungs' state) when Riku smiles back. A truly happy, relieved smile. It's blinding in all the right ways. Beautiful.

_Funny… _Sora smiles weakly back… and lets himself sleep.

* * *

A/N: Ooooh goodness, I got stuck SO many times. Sorry if it all seems a little drawn out. Tell me what you think? Any confusion? I've read it so many times now, and I have all my ideas in my head, sometimes I lose sight of what's really on the page... or computer in this case. I need sleep. Lol :)

Thank you for all the review I got, and story alerts! They made me so happy, I truly appreciate it. Hope this chapter is satisfactory! Updates soon!


	4. Chapter 4: Joke's on You

**Chapter Four: Joke's on You**

The triathlon was halted once Sora (almost) drowned. Coach profusely apologized to the student residents for having never asked if everyone could swim in the first place. Although a stupid move, the Coach edgily said, he respected that the brunet was following orders. A true military spirit, acceptable at such a noble camp such as Hawkeye. Riku had to roll his eyes at the short, pointless speech. This isn't a camp; it's a teenage babysitting arena. He's more surprised no one has died yet, or gotten caught with weed or something.

Nick caught up to him after the little assembly, lake water soaked through his clothes and hair but looking very determined.

"So what is this about Sora being tied to a tree?" Crap.

Riku simply stares at him for a full minute, so emotionally and physically drained, even two-word sentences are hard to put together. "Uh…"

The blonde sighs, "Look, I'm going to friend…-disown you or something stupid like that but… can you at _least_ tell me what happened?"

Riku nods, "But… I want to tell all of you; Roxas, you, and Luis. Since you guys have been helping me and all."

"Gees, this all seemed like simple practical jokes. Harmless. How did it get from hair dye to near starvation and drowning?"

"You're telling me…"

* * *

Sora slowly opens his eyes, groaning as his head impersonates a painful drum. The groan comes out like a dying whisper; his voice is hoarse. Trying to stretch, he whimpers again when he realizes almost everything is at least a little sore. What a drag. Human bodies are made of 70% water, but if you submerge yourself for more than a minute or two, it starts tearing itself apart. The irony would make little chemist Sora laugh, but it's too painful to be humorous.

He waits for someone to start talking to him, to gush over him about how worried they were, but not a sound is distinguished from the lonely room. He gazes about, shifting his eyes away from the ceiling. There are a couple notes on his bedside table, no flowers though. He thanks his lucky starts they didn't ship him off to a hospital; the camp symbol is on a poster the wall closest to the door. He hadn't been to the nurse-building once yet but he supposes that's where he must be. He faintly hears the soft patter of rain on the roof and the single window to his left, though the blinds completely cover the outside view. Once again, he thanks Heaven that he is inside, not out.

He sighs lightly, ribs sore from CPR and lungs still burning. Now thinking back, it was stupid to even attempt swimming in the first place. It wouldn't have been a big deal to just say he didn't know how. Perhaps he would have been ridiculed further but… No. He's still alive, isn't he? If he hadn't taken chances, nothing would have changed and he'd still be miserable. Of course, he's kind of miserable now, but he faced a fear. Made a Miracle. He figured out he doesn't want to die; he wants to live. He figured out he can do crazy things. _I guess it was worth it_.

He sits up slowly, brushing his hair with his shaky fingers. His stomach grumbles, _why is it no one thinks to get me food? _He looks around again; maybe Namine put chocolates with the notes? Then his eye catches on a mini-fridge, about ten feet away. Despite the pain pouring out of him with every move, much like the clouds crying outside, he instinctively scrambles toward it, pouting every step of the way. _If this doesn't have food in it, I will be pissed. _As he begins to open it, the door to the cabin swings ajar. The brunet freezes, stomach sinking in that he has been caught.

"Oh, you're awake. I'm so glad!"

Sora looks to the woman's voice, a tall brunet with bright blue eyes who is shaking out a purple umbrella. Obviously the nurse by her attire. If it weren't for her long, curly hair, it would be easy to say that she could be Sora's long, lost mother. But he isn't concerned with that; he gulps, glancing at the refrigerator again.

"I'm Nurse Aerith! Feel free to take something from in there, you must be starved," she says soothingly. Sora nearly moans in relief and violently swings open the refrigerator door. Meanwhile, she places the umbrella by the side of the side and closes it. "So how are you feeling?"

Sora is in mid-bite into a delicious (even when cold) blueberry muffin when he hears her. But through the dough-y, sugary mass he replies, "Terrible."

"Explain?"

"Lungs burn, body sore, headache…"

"Ah I see," she says knowingly. She paces over to the medicine cabinets by and above his bed. If she swung them out too far they would hit the window. But she has a similar dainty way of touching things like Namine, so she only partially opens one of the cabinets, and takes out a bottle of Tylenol. "Those symptoms are pretty normal, dear," she says, popping two pills into her hand, "They will probably all but disappear in another day or two."

Sora grabs a water bottle from the 'fridge and Aerith hands him the medication. He takes it instantly, praying the pounding in his head will go away shortly after.

"So how long have I been out?"

"Hmm… about a day or so. No surprise, though, it was quite a trauma."

Sora can't believe he slept that long. It's amazing how the body can go into recovery-shutdown mode so easily; the brunet didn't even dream, as if he had really **died** for that amount of time until his brain decided it was safe enough for him to come back. A day of his life he will never live. Depressing, or a blessing?

The nurse continues, "Well, whenever you feel ready, you can go. Just come back for Tylenol if the headache comes back. Go easy on yourself, don't get into trouble, but the best thing for your body right now is to get it normally moving again. It'll help the healing process."

Sora nods. "Oh, and one more thing." She looks at her watch. "It's lunch time right now, so you can probably get there in time for more food."

That's all he needs to hear. He can't even think about the once-threatening rain when he's so weak and ravenously hungry (the muffin really only made his stomach want more, the needy thing.) He takes his notes and shoves them in his pockets, checks his body for all his clothing, and then takes off in a slow, snail like manner.

The nurse told the truth; no one, not even the staff, is outside. Lunch is the only temptation that can goad everyone inside usually, even with rain. He follows the gravel path, wishing he had an umbrella until he stops at the lunchroom doors, realizing all eyes will be on him when he walks through. He contemplates his options, but every second he decides to stand there awkwardly results in heavy tummy protesting. He decides to listen to his very loud stomach. He can't trust his head anyway; it isn't making much sense.

He opens the doors quietly, and closes them softly. Normal chatter so far. Looking around, he sees all the teens in their normal tables, chowing down, oblivious to the content of their meals. Riku's table is full with his usual friends, so Sora supposes the silverette has explained everything. More thought on that later. Sora's own friends are still in the back, though Namine isn't eating at all (a scary thought) and Axel looks very sullen. Demyx seems to be trying very hard to lift the mood, but unsuccessfully. Are they worried for him?

Sora wants to fix their misery, but the smell of food, even half cooked, is too much for him to resist. He walks calmly past the front lunch tables, trying to pretend he's in the part of Assassins Creed Two where he has to blend in the crowds to avoid being attacked by Templars. For a couple steps, he feels as if he will make it. Cue the epic music. But, as usual, Sora's stealth levels are no more than negative one. He ends up tripping over himself and making a loud "eep!" sound. He manages to stand up straight at the last second, but just that small sound is enough to travel all the way across the noisy lunch room to Demyx's creepily accurate and bat-like ears.

The brunet sees him mouth "Sora…?" questioningly, scoping the room for him. And then, he catches sight of Sora's terrified face, partly scared from his near-fall, and partly from predicting all eyes on him.

"SORA!" Demyx suddenly screams out. Many tables look at the mullet-head as if he was schizophrenic, but Namine jerks her head up and Axel whirls around. "SORAAAAA~" Demyx continues, pointing and gesturing to come over there _now_ with a huge, silly grin on his big stupid face.

Sora shakes his head, gesturing wildly to the lunch line, that he greatly, desperately desires a plate of half-plastic, half-fat food and that nothing will stop him from completing this quest of absolute necessity. He hears snickers from the tables around him. A couple girls are calling to him, asking if he's okay but most the guys are laughing. But, for once, it's in understanding, not mocking. Nothing stands between a man in his food.

When Demyx doesn't let up, Sora whirls around and marches (somewhat stiffly, for the soreness has not magically disappeared) to the food line, ignoring the stares and the questions that are throttled at him as he passes by. Scowling and crossing his arms, he attempts to look straight ahead in the line and ignore the questions around him.

And then he feels a pat on his shoulder. The brunet looks up; Axel. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Sora says, "Just unbelievably starving." The red head laughs, and claps him on the back again, causing Sora to cough in the classic, "you hit too hard" kind of way. Then the redhead turns to the cafeteria, most of the people within still looking at the distressed brunet, and says, "He's alright everyone, back to your business!" And so, everyone returns to their meal. Or… anti-meal. Axel's persuasion points, plus one!

* * *

A strangely tranquil, boring period of time sets over the camp for Sora and Riku over the next two weeks. Well, it at least seems to the silverette (now _actually _a silverette again) that the brunet is getting along just fine. Having ten times the friends Riku has probably ever had, much less _met_ in a general population, Sora is much more active with the guys, though increasingly more _giggly _and non-masculine. Yet somehow, he has maintained his respect from even the most macho of teens. It must be his charm, Riku muses. If one has it, it can take you to places no one could normally reach.

His own unique charm has helped him too. The guys have stopped idolizing him and he much prefers it that way. He likes working behind the scene, and he often does. He's been given a camera and a clipboard, a piece of paper, and a glorious pen to tally the sport games' scores. Now that his hair is back to normal as well, his personal friends have been less ashamed to be around the poor fellow. The only thing he would change, perhaps, is the awkward yet mutual avoidance between himself and Sora, the cute boy that he's been saving for the past month. To be frank, he isn't quite sure whether it would be better to watch on at a distance and not bother him for fear that it would upset him, or try to become a friend to him. What harm could it do? But that's the thing, Riku has no idea. His playing God nearly cost Sora his life, but the silverette can't help but hope and believe that maybe they have more in common than they thought. Even Roxas has been urging him to talk to the brunet. The tempting idea has been growing and festering for a full week, more incessant every day now that the first half of camp is coming to a close.

That brings him to an even worse dilemma. After the first "semester" (as he likes to think of it) of camp, he will have to start all over. See, MOST kids only go for a month to camp Hawkeye. Learn a little discipline, make friends, learn sports, get a little fitter, miss mom's home cooking, and then go back home to their miscellaneous locations across the whole damn United States. But Riku? Oh no, he's stuck the _whole _summer. He'll have to make new friends, get settled in all over again. And quite frankly, he isn't up for the amount of effort that will take. Not only that, everything with Sora will have been for naught, because the little adorable thing will be gone and he won't even know the boy's last name.

_Godda- … Goshdarnit_.

* * *

"So, you have my address?"

"Of course."

"And my phone number?"

"I have that too, Namine…"

"Okay…" she's still sniffling. "Axel, Demyx; what about you guys?"

"Pah, you wouldn't want to hear from jerks like us, right?" Axel jokes, trying to make the teary-eyed blonde feel better. "I **do**!" she says, hugging Demyx extremely tight. He makes fake choking sounds to emphasize her grip.

They stand in their little group at the front of the camp, just under the shadow of the big, wooden arch that says in threatening blood red letters "HAWKEYE CAMP". Most others are in similar shady places, huddled together in their miniature mess of emotions, saying goodbye to each other.

"You know," Axel says, trying to change the subject to something less mushy. Is that a tear in his eye? "I don't think I actually got 'disciplined' here or anything. All we had to do was smile and pretend we liked sports and then we could do whatever. Seems misleading."

"Hey, I'm not going to complain," Demyx says, patting Namine's back lightly.

"I'm not either, I'm just saying it was all point-"

"Axel," a deep voice calls. They all look up and the red head turns, already scowling at the tall, gruff man. "It's time to go."

"Already? I didn't think you'd miss me."

"I didn't."

"Sheesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Axel mutters, sheepishly ruffling the hair at the back of his neck. Then he turns back to Namine, Demyx, and Sora. "I guess this is where I make my leave. You all have my numbers so… Well, goodbye." He seems to be at a loss of words, torn between showing emotion in front of his (possible) uncle, and showing that he has some sort of emotion for the three standing before him. The atmosphere is too tense. He clears his throat and turns, waving his hand in an offhand farewell. They all mutter goodbye, secretly planning to text him a mushy goodbye later. Harry Potter was upset when he didn't get Ron and Hermione's letters, so they are pretty sure the redhead would be upset without a text or two as well.

Demyx and Namine's parents come next at about the same time twenty minutes later. The whole ordeal quickly becomes a big mess of tears and snot. Sora tries to keep his composure but soon him and Demyx are hugging like junior high school girls, crying that they'll miss each other and keep in touch. But no homo…. Which Namine quickly points out, saying "no homo" instantly makes it more likely to be homo. Instead of defending themselves, they wrap the small girl into a huge group hug and she laughs, louder than she had the whole duration of the camp. Demyx kisses her cheek and she blushes, but swats him away.

Their parents clear their throats, and they break it up. Chocked up, the brunet says, "Thank you guys, for everything." They nod, and Sora waves goodbye as they clamber into their separate cars, blue eyes still flooded.

Of course, Sora turns and leaves at the moment the cars disappear from sight, brooding on how two weeks without them will be hell. Camp may be over for them, but not for him. He's stuck for the whole summer, as he said before. He didn't realize that the camp wasn't normally one big session, but he supposes that the next set of kids will be easier to deal with, with his newfound confidence and yatta yatta yatta. And if they aren't, Sora has a feeling he'll know what to do.

As he heads back to the cabins to mourn his lost friends, he notices Riku's group over yonder, though already missing a member. The Mexican-looking one seems to have already left. Sora can't help but wonder what Riku told his group about everything, if he lied or was honest. He also begins to wonder… Could him and the silverette have been friends? Why haven't they spoken since the apology? The brunet can't help but feel that they would have been great friends, if they hadn't been so damn stupid. Sora was all caught up in self-pity and wounded pride, so assumptions made an ass out of him and the silverette. Perhaps they were similar. Perhaps they made the same mistake, except Sora was driven by this idea that he was "immune" to the Miracle, the chance that something would change him or that his life would change in a grand way. Of course, as soon as he _doesn't_ expect anything, everything spins out of control like the first time riding a bike and letting go of the handlebars.

Sora can admit to himself, though, that he has been avoiding the silverette. The feeling seems to have been mutual, because even though Sora catches him looking, as soon as they make eye contact, they both turn away. Sora blushing, him… well, the brunet never got a good look. The brunet regrets his cowardice a little bit, like after he read "Much Ado About Nothing." The title says it all, essentially. But, still staring at the silverette's backside, he decides that there isn't anything to do about it now. It wouldn't make sense to talk to him after such a long time.

He makes a mental picture of the silverette though, something to keep from the person who saved his life. Broad shoulders and toned arms, only slightly hidden under the black jacket. Definitely something to remember him by, because who wears a black jacket in July? But even worse and more eye-catching, his long, beautifully silver hair hangs down to the middle of his back. If only Sora could see his face and eyes again without being creepy… and then he turns, as if Riku read his mind. Ah, yes, sea turquoise eyes, almond and stormy. Pale skin, strong jaw. A prominent, masculine noise but full lips. Maybe a little chapped, but from far away Sora can't tell. For an emo kid, he sure is beautiful. Not freakish at all. If his mind were a camera, he'd hear a click and a flash.

* * *

That night, around seven after all the other kids had been nabbed by their guardians, one of the staff members knocked on Riku's door. He had been texting and playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days on his DS when he hears it through his headphones. Disgruntled, he heaves out of his bunk and opens the door.

Standing before him are two people he is very surprised to see. First, one of the camp administrators; a girl, though he knows not her name, who is very abrasive and likes the color yellow. Second, a spiky-haired brunet with astonishing blue eyes who Riku himself had just happened to save a couple times a few weeks ago; Sora. Wait, why is he here? Instantly, Riku is embarrassed by his appearance; baggy pajama pants with glow in the dark skulls (it's dark enough that they can probably tell too) with no shirt, and hair in disarray from violently playing his treasured video games. He's even wearing his glasses; black, thin rims used to see things up close. A particularly vulnerable and homely stance to the usual, purposely edgy silverette.

But at least with his glasses, Riku can see Sora much more clearly than he could before. Before, he couldn't believe the brunet could get cuter, but when he is less fuzzy and viewed in 20/20 vision, the kid is simply angelic. Riku knows he must be staring; why has no one spoken yet? Sora's cheeks get redder, possibly from being stared at, or seeing Riku in such an odd state.

"Pack up your stuff. We have to do maintenance on the cabins over the next two weeks so you guys are getting one of the staff's quarters until the start of camp," the lady says, abrupt and snooty as ever.

Riku is too shocked and glazed to really comprehend, still staring at Sora in some strange stupor. "What?" he says weakly, his brain trying to link the snarky sounds with words he is familiar with. To this intelligent response, the administrator growls. "Uuuuugh! You, other boy, just stay here and help him. Your room is number nine in the staff's quarters' building." She hands him a key. "Don't lose that, there's only a few of them," and with that, she storms off, grumbling about how men are useless idiots.

"Hehe..." Sora laughs nervously, watching her walk away with relief and apprehension. When he turns back, the brunet looks cautiously back at the silverette, who is finally pulling his bearings together. He feels like he got sucked out of a T.V. show, which is doing wonders to his cool, collected composure. The brunet isn't helping. Since the woman was eerily similar to his mom on her period, it brought him back to earth. But Sora still speaks first, voice unsure, "I- uhh…" cough, "It sure is late, isn't it? Kind of rude to kick us out at this time..."

"You're telling me..." Riku grumbles, scratching his scalp in an irritated kind of way. "New room..." He realizes something, "How in the world did you even pack with that woman watching over you?" The silverette glares down the hall, wishing he had cherry bombs to throw into her room.

Sora, not following the taller man's eyes, shrugs and sheepishly points to his haphazardly put together suitcase, barely zipped all the way. The brunet giggles at himself.

Riku chuckles a little back, and clears his throat quickly, "So you're stuck all summer too? And here I thought it was just me." The cute brunet shakes his head, smiling. "No, uhm, my parents wanted a vacation, like a honeymoon thing, so they went to China. I could have stayed with my brother but they didn't want me to bother him in college." The brunet pouts.

"Ah," he isn't sure how to reply to that without sounding like an inconsiderate asshole. Riku puts his most polite voice and face on, subconsciously trying to convince Sora that he is a good guy and that none of last month ever happened. "My mom dropped me off for kind of the same reasons..." He tries to think of an excuse for his mom, but nothing really comes to mind, "I didn't have much control over her decision so I didn't ask for reasons." Which is somewhat true, though he put up much more of a fight at the suggestion of the camp in the first place.

"Well she sounds …nice," Does Riku sense eager politeness from him as well? "Though uh… do you need any help packing? We should probably get to that room before Larxene comes back."

"I'd prefer to call her the Bitch, so I won't remember her name." Sora laughs, agreeing. "Oh, but I don't really need help, just stick around for a couple minutes and I'll be out."

"Oh, okay," he says, slightly unsure but sweetly, moving to allow Riku to shut the door without being rude or alarming. A little hesitant to end the first civil and normal conversation with the brunet, he shuts the door softly and slowly. When it clicks to a close, his mind goes into overdrive.

_So… Sora and I are sharing a room. I mean we're both guys but… It's Sora. _Nervousness. _Why is that a big deal? _His sarcastic side replies, _well you did almost kill him. Nooo big deal. _Riku knows there's more to it, but he lets the remark slide with a healthy pang of guilt. At least it's all over and done with now, with a nice, red bow of forgiveness on top. It's not like the brunet feels guilty about dying his hair, so it would be silly to feel guilty about the mistakes he made. _Err… well, let's hope the brunet doesn't hold grudges. _

Thus Riku gathers his stuff together in a rush. It isn't much, but he takes the time to change into normal clothes. He doesn't really want to walk over to the mysterious and adult-occupied building without a shirt on and a pair of legitimate pants. By the time Riku re-opens his door, Sora has begun playing Sudoku on his phone, though he pauses the game and turns to the silverette when he hears the door.

Sora hands him a key. "She gave me two," he explains, "Uh, you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Riku confirms, pocketing his key, "Lead the way."

* * *

Sora had never been this close to the silverette… or at least, in a normal situation. Still looking slightly disheveled and wearing his glasses, Riku is appearing to be everything Sora thought he wasn't; down to earth in his glasses, able to be startled by in his ruffled clothes, human and imperfect by the tangles in his hair. To be frank, Riku is… attractive. The kind of guy everyone desperately wants to know and understand and love, to see them in the morning when they just wake up, to see them in their most vulnerable state and be the one to tell them that it's okay. Just the temptation and desire makes Sora want to put another foot between himself and the other teen; he's chased enough of these "types" to know that it's a path of regret.

But, Sora does know that Riku isn't _exactly _what he appears to be on any given moment. This is the man that saved Sora's life… There were probably other people who saw him struggling, but just swam on by. But Riku, the one who he had thought hated him, was the one to drag him out of the never ending lake. His negative conscience begs the brunet to look at the tree incident; what about his appearance there? What about the game? Although Sora agrees with himself that he cannot grant his immediate trust, he fights back these thoughts, telling it that he never got an explanation of what was really going on. Perhaps it isn't what it seems. He already got an apology nonetheless. It should all be ancient history. New slate. He may not be perfect, but forgiveness is something he is called to give, and with this beautiful, entrancing silverette next to him for the next two weeks… he isn't going to withhold his friendship now.

They reach the huge, light wooded building before Sora realizes his feet continued to walk without his conscious effort of it. Riku holds the door open for him, already in his inherent urges of small dominance. Sora isn't one to care about that sort of thing; he can lead, he can follow. So he walks past Riku, eyes and mouth smiling at the silverette in a friendly way.

"So where to now?" Riku asks, looking ahead at the closed office and the three hallways, one on the left and two on the right.

"Eenie, meanie, mine-y, moe…" Sora shrugs, seeing no directional signs. "You'd think they'd at least put totem poles with arrows to tell us where to go."

Riku laughs, "'As Coach would say, 'this is a _noble _camp, not just some hogwash kindergarten school!'"

Still at a loss of where to go, they guesstimate where their room might be and head down a random hall. To their luck, they find it about halfway down and shove the key in, noisily dragging their suitcases behind them across the wood floor.

The room is much like their cabins out closer to the wild woods, but larger and with less bunks. In fact, there is really only one bed (and, as they both notice longingly, not a bunk but a true mattress with sheets and a frame), but a couch has been added in a vacant corner to accommodate for two people residing in the room. One of the arms of the green couch holds up fresh sheets, folded and ready to go proudly. There's no kitchen, but a small plastic table with a mini fridge on it, only suitable for drinks and small snacks. Luckily, there is also a bathroom and shower behind one of the few doors in the room. The others are closets, one that seems to be meant for clothes, and the other for toiletries. A tall dresser serves as an entertainment center on the back wall, equipped with a large (but old) TV and a cable modem connected to it.

"It's like a beach resort for the woods," Riku says, gazing about nonchalantly. Sora merely nods, setting his stuff down by the table.

"So…" Sora says to the open room, "What now?"

"Hmm… Well I can connect my Playstation2, Xbox 360, or my Nintendo 64 to the TV."

Sora gapes at the silverette, amazed at this astounding news. "You… you brought all those? I'm pretty sure they're banned…"

Riku shrugs, smirking at Sora's gleeful bewilderment. "If you hadn't noticed, I don't like sports. But here's a fun fact I'm sure you hadn't guessed yet: I don't heed the rules very well."

Sora raises one of his eyebrows, not sure if he agrees with the silverette, and not sure if he should test the fact either. He never got in with the "rule breaking crowd" but here he is now, very determined to make this man his friend. Not only that, he's in a place where Miracles have been following him. All bad ideas, malevolent incidents, but all of them blessings in disguise. Maybe a couple rules can be broken. A couple more chances taken, intentionally. Just to see where he'll end up before he has to return to his normal life. What could go wrong?

Everything. And that's what he wants.

* * *

**A/N: Ahh, sorry it took so long for me to finish this. It's a transitional chapter, really, so it was hard for me to keep interest in finishing it. Not only that, I've been playing a LOT of Xbox, hence all the references to games... **

**Well all that is over now! Finally, Sora and Riku can start their long awaited friendship. All the sexual tension of being in the SAME ROOM. You're welcome. Hehe :) **

**Please review if you have the time, I like knowing if there was a spot I could have done better, or a confusing spot, or, or, or... I love you guys! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5: Car Wars

**Chapter 5: Car Wars**

Sora drooled over all the games Riku brought, uncharacteristically not caring one bit that he wasn't supposed to have them. He babbled on and on about the different games, describing miscellaneous characters and fan-girling over the coolest ones. To Riku, it all sounds like Wikipedia babble, but he listens, happy to find someone else who is passionate about gaming. It's not as though he's wasted most of his life beating them or anything… Ahem. The silverette watches the brunet closely as he goes through each of his games, making a slapdash pile of them by his feet.

"-But you know, I actually really suck at playing video games… I-"

Riku interrupts (after five minutes of straight prattling, it was bound to happen), "Wait, how can you know about all this and yet be 'bad' at them?"

Sora looks sheepishly back at him, shrugging and admitting, "I watch them online. They have YouTube videos on them, called walkthroughs."

The silverette is very aware of this, having used several of them to help with tricky bosses. But Riku still smirks, "You cheater."

The blue eyes widen. "Nuh uh! I just… I get to a boss and I die, over and over again…" He picks up another game. "Hey, like this one!" The eyes that were shocked turn to puppy dog pouting, "Can you help me beat it? Please, please, please?"

How could such a regular-guy, sport-extraordinaire become a cute, dorky ball of fluff so quickly? Every moment next to the brunet reveals more and more that the silverette really didn't have a clue. He still doesn't, but even so, he finds himself warming up to him. There are traits that he sees in the blue-eyed wonder that he would usually hate in someone, but painted on Sora, it's a beautiful canvas.

Riku sighs, "Chain of Memories?" That one was hell… all those stupid cards…

"Yeah," he says, beaming, "But you know, I don't remember what happened in that game…" (1)

Riku pauses, giving a moment for decision. Just one glace at Sora's pleading face, however, makes the choice _for_ him. Sigh. "Alright, but you'll play it, and I'll step in when you need help." Sora cheers, heartily agreeing to it. The silverette begins setting up the Playstation2, muttering to himself, "Okay red here… is that white or yellow? Damnit… old TVs…"

* * *

At about two in the morning, Sora can barely keep his eyes open. Riku, normally being up that late anyway, is more talkative than usual and the brunet just nods and says small comments.

Riku elbows the blue-eyed teen, "Hey, you need to stay awake."

"But… but whyyyy?" he sighs exaggeratedly. "I'm so tired…" The last sentence comes out muffled as he hugs one of the couch pillows and mutters into it.

"Think of this as the small print in the terms and conditions of letting you play my video games," Riku throws back, smirking again with a prideful, relishing expression.

"You don't understand," Sora groans, "I never, ever, stay up late, man…" The blue eyes are pouting again, but the shadows under his eyes take away the innocence effect.

The silverette chuckles, "What, did you never toss away your bedtime?" The brunet opens his mouth to respond but Riku cuts in, "Don't even reply, I know the answer to that."

"Fine, well, I'm going to bed anyway," he finally says, standing up for himself. He rises up slowly, still gripping the pillow, and glances between the bed and couch. Riku wonders which Sora will choose; honestly, the bed could fit both of them. He considers that Sora might find that suggestion odd, especially after nearly flirting with him all night. Not that he meant to… The trouble is, it all comes out naturally; as soon as he thinks a comment, it comes out of his mouth. A peculiar case, as Riku is a self-proclaimed mime without the invisible boxes. The silverette has spoken more words tonight than he has in probably the last year combined. It's just nice to have someone to speak to that doesn't have his fucked up family image… but then again, he gave himself a terrible impression on the brunet before... Hopefully that's all done and over with now.

Gees, why does he keep hoping the brunet doesn't think ill of him? Why does he care what he thinks?

A small, tired voice leaks out, "Uhm… well… which bed should I take?"

He's asking Riku? "Whichever you want, I guess." He couldn't really care less, but he isn't going to suggest sharing beds. He agrees with himself it would probably be too strange.

"….I think we are both too tall for the couch though…"

Riku looks away from the T.V. screen that he was mindlessly watching (they found reruns of That 70's show after they decided to put Chain of Memories away for the night) and contemplates the couch. The brunet could be right; only one way to find out. He heaves himself up, takes a couple steps, and drops himself onto the plush cushions on the couch. He lays back. A whole foot of leg pokes out from the arms of the couch, not including feet.

"I'm only a couple inches shorter than you," inputs Sora, sounding more awake and proud that he isn't **too **much shorter than the silverette.

"Mm, still taller though," Riku affirms, asserting his place, "Well…" Riku sighs, giving in to his earlier idea, "we could just share the bed. It should be big enough for both of us."

Sora doesn't seem too surprised by the suggestion, but instead his plump cheeks redden. Hmm.

"I-I guess that's fine… I mean, we're both guys so…"

"If you aren't comfortable with that…" The silverette suddenly remembers the couch can turn into a bed by folding it out. Quick decision time: does he want to sleep with Sora in the bed, or not?

Before Riku even moves to speak, Sora blurts, "No, it's cool! I just…" he nervously chuckles, "Honestly, I don't get out much. I never had guys friends spend the night or anything so I don't really know what's normal and what's not." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. Riku is surprised to hear this information.

"I thought you were a sports guy."

"I'm very athletic, yes…" He hesitates, then seems to catch onto what Riku was really getting at. "But whenever I joined the teams, the guys already had their own groups so they didn't pay me much mind. So I just left it alone," Sora explains, very blunt. Riku can tell Sora doesn't hide much; very open. But usually, those are the people who have the worst secrets, making all the other bits more expendable. Hmm.

"What assholes. Most jocks are dicks anyway," Riku encourages despite his urges to babble about how Sora never has to hold back or worry about what's "right" with him and that he deserves friends and respect and…

Damn, he must be tired. His mushy conscience is talking again.

Sora laughs, "Yeah, they can be mean. Alright, well I'm going to sleep then…" The brunet doesn't even yawn to reiterate the point, so the silverette thinks of ways he can keep Sora awake and occupied.

Aha. "Are you even tired anymore?"

"…Not that much anymore," Sora admits hesitantly, "Why?"

"I usually play my DS before I sleep. I don't want to end up waking you up whenever I take my side of the bed," Somewhat of a lie, but laced with truth. Close enough? "So you can just watch me play that until you fall asleep." No worries of that being weird, since Sora obviously doesn't know the "normal guy code of behavior". Although, in all fairness, Riku never really caught onto that either. He just makes it up as he goes.

The blue eyes bright up, "Sure!" Suddenly the previously lethargic male soars toward his bags, stripping off his shirt and shorts to put on a baggy t-shirt and a pair of SpongeBob cotton shorts. Riku decides to follow the brunet's example, but by the time Riku finds his pajama pants again out of the chaos of his bag, Sora is already on the left side of the bed, snuggling into the sheets.

"Would you stop moaning while I take my pants off?" Riku says, hoping to get a rise out of him.

"Nooooo the bed is just sooooo comfortable…." Riku rolls his eyes as Sora continues to sigh and ruffle the sheets. _By the time I get over there, he'll have taken all the blankets…_

As an afterthought, Sora continues, "I promise I'm not looking anyway."

Although Riku is turned away from the blue-eyed boy, he is still fairly certain that this is a lie. Hence the hesitation to say it in the first place. In his mind's eye, he can see Sora realizing that he _had _been watching, so his cheeks flush and then he looks down towards the navy blue sheets. The silverette finishes the draw-string tie on his PJ's (refusing to wear a shirt) and turns to see if his prediction was correct; the turquoise eyes fall on Sora, who is intently staring at a wrinkle in the fabric. Score.

Nintendo DS in hand, he walks over to the bed, telling himself furiously that he is not embarrassed in the slightest. Sora, sensing the need to break the thick quietness, says, "So what game are you playing on the DS?"

Composing himself very quickly, the silverette replies, "358/2 Days. It's another Kingdom Hearts game."

"Oh! I haven't seen that one either. They sure make a lot of them…"

Riku shrugs, "You haven't missed much. It's about Aros' Nobody, Saxor, and some bitch who tries killing him."

"Oh," Sora says contemplatively. Riku climbs under the navy blue sheets and situates himself in a comfortable, DS-playtime way, laying on his stomach and leaning on his elbows. Sora comes close next to him so he can see the tiny screen. The brunet looks tired again, but also excited to see the game. Riku flips the switch to the black device.

No conversation is needed after that, the familiar piano melody resounding in the room and binding them in common interest.

* * *

The light in the room would be blinding, but luckily the window curtains are holding back the ultraviolet waves. But it still rouses Sora's awareness, making a red screen behind his eyelids. They stick together from sleep-gunk, but he's too lazy to wipe them out, and warm, and comfy, and being held… _It's probably afternoon already…_

Wait, er, what?

Forcing himself to open his eyes and focus, he inspects a pale hand rest on his tummy, coming from over his hip. The brunet tries to gather memory from last night, slightly alarmed. He remembers being kicked out from his cabin… And then being put in the same room as the silverette Riku, whom he thought he'd never see again. Once again, another little Miracle happened, except his "joker" from Life's deck of cards is most definitely laughing at him. No doubt about it.

Sora also remembers the video games.

"_Oh, no-no-no-no-no AUGH! Fuck!"_

_Riku laughs at Sora's terrible attempt to avoid Droxul's attacks, "Dude, you need to stop spamming the x-button and think!"_

_Sora pouts, though in an aggressive way, "You do it then!" And suddenly the controller is thrust into the silverette's hands. Only by a millisecond and many years of obsessing over video games does he avoid dying, curing right before Aros would have died._

Sora smirks at the memory, remembering that Riku died in that battle too, and he had to retry it to win. Ha.

He vaguely remembers That 70's Show, and then the other Kingdom Hearts game. _We must've fallen asleep, _Sora thinks, looking around the bed with his limited view for the DS that Riku played later. Sora inches out of Riku's cuddley grip, wondering if he can tease the silverette about it later. The hand that had been touching Sora twitches and the other teen's face looks upset for a second, but soon it returns to the peaceful expression of slumber. Breathing very quietly, Sora looks again for the DS. He finds it behind Riku, upside down and luckily plugged in, because the game is somehow still running.

_Better find a save point for him._

"So, whatcha want to do today?" Sora asks cheerily, uncannily happy in the morning. Riku can barely get past the fog in his head or taste the cereal the cafeteria handed them today. All he knows is that Sora brought it back to their room and now Riku is eating it at the silly plastic table they have. The silverette has no idea where the hell he got the spoon.

Riku grumbles back incoherently. "What was that?" Sora pushes.

"Sleep. All day," Riku proposes grouchily. In Riku's mind, morning is when one should be passed out, and noon when one should arise. Funnily enough, Sora is the exact opposite, used to taking cat naps after lunch.

"Pfft. Absolutely not! We have to do something fun today!" To this Riku merely groans. Leaving his bowl of cereal, he leaves the table and passes Sora softly, clumsily bumping into him. Then, he collapses back onto their shared bed, too tired to even get under the covers or reach for a pillow.

"No, Rikuuuu…. Urgh."

"Lemmelone."

"No, it's too lonely around here."

"Mwerhg." Sora would give up and go do something himself, but he has already exhausted his single-player activities when he let Riku sleep in yesterday. So the brunet stalks over to the still silverette, determined. "Do I have to drag you out of here?"

"Challenge… accepted…" the silverette replies sleepily.

Sora grabs onto his ankles and tugs. He really doesn't weigh all that much, but the added friction from the comforter and sheets make it a difficult task. Riku doesn't even fight as Sora struggles to get him off the bed, yanking his limbs mercilessly.

"You… lazy… ass!" Sora scowls, now pulling from the silverette's knees.

Finally, Riku begins to protest like a possum that decided playing dead wasn't the best idea after all. He crawls up the bed with pure adrenaline and arm strength, taking Sora onto the bed with him. He embraces a pillow and yells, "MY BED."

"And here I thought you were mature!" the haughty Sora exclaims, glaring at the silverette with fiery eyes.

"I need beauty sleep."

Sora crawls up to the other male and pokes him violently in his side. "Pussy."

Riku's droopy eyes glare at Sora, "Say that again. See what happens."

Sora isn't one to insult or curse, but at this point the brunet is hyper and curious. Riku is obviously awake now, and is just being stubborn for the hell of it. So, with this decided, he says very slowly, "Puuuuu-ssy."

Instantly, Riku flies on top of the brunet to pin him down and either tickle him or punch him. Either way, it's a wound to a normal man's honor or masculinity. Of course, Sora cares about neither the honor nor the male stereotypes, but he can't afford to lose. Sora uses every martial art technique that comes to mind but Riku's brute strength keeps them rolling and cursing, causing pillows to fly away in fear and Riku's suspicious teddy bear to somehow end up under the bed.

_THUD. _"Ouch!" They fell off the bed, a tangle of limbs and already sweating.

They unintentionally separate, rubbing areas that hit the hard floor. "Damn, how'd you learn to fight like that?" Riku asks Sora, rubbing his knees and elbows. Panting, Sora replies, "How'd you learn to wrestle like that?!"

"Streets, man. But you don't learn the shit you were just doing_ there_. Fess up."

Sora takes a moment to think of something to say. It's not a simple answer, in any way. The whole truth is that Sora wanted to be strong after the hurricane, so that he may have better means to protect anyone he cares for. Another reason was just an anger outlet; he had started hating life at a young age of seven, wondering why in the world would God or Fate do this to him? He still hasn't gotten a clear answer, but when his foster parents expressed their idea of Miracles, well, the brunet came to the conclusion that life flat out owed it to him. That's why he's been waiting for it so diligently, praying for it incessantly.

But Sora doesn't trust the silverette with his tragedy, or his confusing belief system. It's almost like a dream that he and Riku are paired together in the first place. Before, while camp was running, it was as if they were in two different worlds, opposite sides of a coin, warring factions. Now they are inseparable, but in an awkward "I-kind-of-like-you-but-I-don't-trust-you" sort of way. The brunet sincerely enjoys the silverette's friendship, but can't figure the guy's true nature out. Despite his apology, Sora still wants an explanation of Riku's involvement from a few weeks ago.

But all that can wait. There is two long weeks ahead, and diving into tough topics on the first few days might be jumping the gun a bit. So, instead, Sora says, "My parents put me into a class when I was young and I enjoyed it. So I kept at it."

"Well damn…" Riku hesitates, as if he wants to bring something up, but isn't sure of it. He lets it pass. "I guess I'll get up then. Wouldn't want to piss off a black belt."

Sora laughs, agreeing. "Damn straight!"

* * *

Coach has the great idea to put the silverette and Sora to work the next day. After seeing them trek the forest and nearly cause a nature-pocalypse with all their noise and destruction, he thought they needed to have a couple hours of responsibility and work to exhaust their obviously raging hormones. But what Coach didn't see, though, was the growing tension between the two. But the pressure isn't what one would expect; they aren't fighting, or disagreeing, or even annoying one another. And that's what throws them both off guard. Riku thought his fascination with the brunet would have waned by now. But instead, his desire to know more about him grows in direct correlation with his desire just to be around the sunny, jovial brunet. Riku, even after four days, hasn't been able to find a substantial flaw in the teen that makes him any less fun or attractive.

The only comparisons Riku can make are the times he would meet someone, think they're fantastic off the bat, and then the liking would burn out in a couple days. Usually these people weren't the same inside as out. And usually, they would also fall in love with him, which isn't what Riku wanted at the time. Well, better phrased, he didn't want _them _but he did want someone… which made it all the more disappointing when they could fall but he remained standing.

But maybe it would be different with Sora, because after all, he is a guy. The silverette doubts that the innocent cherub would be wanting to get into his pants unless some Miracle happened, like a meteor falling from the sky. Despite himself, Riku finds himself wishing Sora were a girl; maybe then it'd be okay to fall for him. Strangely enough, the silverette almost feels like he is anyway… But that's absurd right? He must be mistaken; it's been too long for him to tell what true liking is anymore.

"Riku, whatcha thinking about?" Sora asks, peering at him curiously with his pool-cleaning brush in hand.

The silverette isn't sure what to say. He desperately wants to place more trust in the brunet, in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, Sora would do the same but… The silverette doesn't trust easily. It's been so long, holding all his thoughts in his head, that he doesn't know the words to communicate them anymore. Saying I'm sorry is something he's used to, but this is a whole other animal. What a cruel irony, that the silence he willingly gave to himself became chains?

"Nothing," Riku says, lying, scrubbing the concrete pool. He feels the tension rising again, knowing that they aren't going with the script. Like fate itself isn't happy with his answer. With any other pair of friends, they'd be divulging secrets already, promising a lifetime of friendship because one does not simply _find_ a kindred soul like this. But both of them are more scarred and stubborn.

However, Sora breaks the ice, "Well, er… If anything is bothering you, you can tell me. I mean, no matter what you say, what are the chances it'll matter after this camp is over?"

Riku's turquoise eyes widen. The _brunet _took the first step? Usually, Riku has to initiate everything but… And not only that, Sora has a point. Why _not _trust Sora? At the beginning of September, the silverette will have to return to his rundown apartment in Houston… but if he plays his cards right, he'll walk in with a lighter chest.

"You're a ridiculously good friend, you know that right?" The silverette tells Sora, trying to keep the bravado in his voice to hide the relieved honesty behind it.

Sora's cheeks flush and Riku smiles, cleaning the pool tiles in a distractedly slow way. "T-thanks. Hem.. you are too," the brunet replies, smiling bashfully.

And then right on cue, Coach shouts, "Alright boys, you did good. The thing is spotless. Go tell the cafeteria to give you their leftover cookies or something."

"AYE SIR!"

Only later do they wonder exactly how long Coach had been standing there.

* * *

"Well congratulations," Sora exclaims, tearing his eyes away from Chain of Memories for a glance, "I am officially nocturnal."

It's three A.M., and the brunet is very determinedly trying to defeat the final boss. Of course, he's already died twice, but at the very least the poor teen is trying. Riku looks up from a book he was reading, amusedly watching the glowing, wide blue eyes of his companion as they stare unblinkingly at the television.

"You're not even tired, are you?"

"Not at all. I want to finish this game, but that'll only take another twenty minutes. What should we do after?" Another cute glance, handing the torch of what-to-do responsibility to Riku.

Riku pauses, genuinely think of their options. He comes up with many, but 99% of them require breaking camp or government rules concerning minors. Sora, catching onto his expression from his quick glance, says "Nothing that will kill us, please."

Riku genuinely pouts, "We wouldn't _die… _just break a few rules…"

The brunet sighs and puts all of his attention back onto the game. Riku, not wanting Sora to get lost in the game before they can come to an agreement, inquires cockily, "What, never break a rule before?"

"Hmm…? Wha-? Oh, uh, not really." The silverette can tell Sora is just distracted enough to answer honestly without thinking his responses through. So he pushes just a little more.

"Why not?"

"Never really had a reason to. I mean, I never really cared about rules necessarily. Just what they stood for. And I wanted friends, not notoriety."

Behind any masculinity or feminism or roles people try fill in, there are truths such as this that are simply human. Turquoise orbs stare at the empty blue eyes of his companion, all cute cheer gone and his constantly flickering and flaming personality ebbed. All that remains is the want that the brunet emits, the anger even, and Riku hears the story loud and clear. Sora had wanted to be normal. To fit the society norm, all snug and warm in its small box. Why? Because then he wouldn't be alone, he'd have a place to be. Or at least, that had been his goal. Riku (and Sora) wonders what prevented success.

Riku also realizes, after another long gaze at the brunet, glowing blue from the television, that Sora will never find that place of belonging- at least not in the confinement of normalcy. The brunet may resent it, but he shines too brightly. He's the birthday candles on a cake, the summer morning that makes all the shadows hide, the instinct to continue laughing even after the joke is gone, your abs are killing you, and tears roll down your cheeks.

And Sora is the only one who doesn't enjoy his own light. Suddenly, Riku knows what he needs to do.

"After this, we're going to get out of here."

* * *

Sora laughs, only barely registering what his ears caught. Get out? Is he joking?

"What are you talking about, Riku? Go where?"

"Hotwire a car and drive. I got a GPS on my phone and a driver's license. We're just going to get out."

The first word is enough to tempt the brunet to pause the game and gape at the silverette. The rest of it almost makes him blanch. "Wha-" breathy laugh "Wha..ddya mean? We can't just… steal a car and go somewhere. We don't know the area. We could get lost. Or caught."

"That's the thrill of it, doofus. I'm fucking tired of being stuck here. We'll be back before any of the administers even wake up, I promise." Riku's voice is reassuring in all the wrong ways, urgent and convicting. If it were any other way, Sora would be determinedly stuck to his playstation2 controller, but the audaciousness and eagerness the silverette obviously feels ignites Sora's deadly curiosity. He hesitates saying no, mulling it over.

Should he go along with the silverette's reckless decision? Does he want to? Can he bear to say no? What if it goes wrong? But what if it doesn't?

Isn't this what he had dared himself to do, break the rules? Go against his nature while it doesn't matter?

"Do you even know how to hotwire a car?" Sora asks, only faking irritation. For extra emphasis, he determinedly continues on Chain of Memories, as if he couldn't care less about Riku's stupid ideas.

"Of course, why do you think I suggested it?" the silverette replies. Having been with him for a couple days now, Sora can already imagine the self-important, pat-on-the-back smile that has to be smothered all over the silverette's face. The brunet sighs again, his inner conscience chastising him on how it _knew_ Sora wouldn't say no, that he'll regret even thinking to break rules, or go outside his comfort zone, or most importantly, trying anything new. Add that to his list of phobias.

"…Fine," Sora replies, ignoring his inner monologue and hiding his excitement, "…But let me finish this first."

"Whatever you wish, Sor." The brunet glances back on instinct, brain still registering the affectionate name he had been given. (Did his heart just stop for a second? What the hell? Damn strange, that is). Riku's smirk couldn't be more prevalent.

The smile on Sora's face couldn't be bigger.

* * *

The gravel crunches under Riku's feet in a satisfying way. He has always enjoyed the night, the way it called to him when it shunned others away. He has copied the night since elementary school, wearing all black before 'emo' was in his vocabulary. He blends right in up until a street lamp illuminates the roads, but luckily for him and Sora tonight, there are only cabin lights which have been switched off due to the lack of people residing in them.

Sora shuffles behind him, the epitome of everything Riku isn't. His face in apprehensive as his eyes swing back and forth from the trees, waiting for one to pounce. His shoulders are hunched over in a protective stance but he inches increasingly close to Riku. If the brunet were any less manly, he's sure Sora would have grabbed his hand.

"What car are we taking, Riku?" Sora whispers worriedly, already ready to bolt.

"The blonde bitch has a nice Corolla. Looked like a 2010, bright ass yellow though."

Riku snickers amusedly when Sora groans, either at the color or the owner. "If we get caught, she'll send us to juvie!" Okay, so maybe it's just the owner.

"I don't think it'd be stealing if we get caught bringing it back…. Just borrowing without permission?" Riku ponders out loud, purposely teasing Sora's nerves.

"Ri~~~ku!" he exclaims in a panicked and loud whisper. Riku genuinely laughs, covering his mouth with a hand to stifle the noise.

"Okay, okay!... Look, I promise we won't get caught."

"I dun trust youuuu!"

"Well I'm driving."

"No shit! If you get pulled over, _you'll _be in deep shit, not me!"

"Ha, touché. Blame the suicidal emo kid. That solves all my problems too."

Sora sputters, and Riku can barely contain the mirth trying to explode out his sides. "That's… that's totally not what I meant…"

"I-" broken laughter "I know," Riku manages, earning himself a firm punch in the shoulder.

* * *

Sora is simply amazed by Riku's work. In the first five minutes of finding the Corolla, the car's doors were unlocked. Sora buckled himself into the front seat passenger to wait patiently for Riku to magically start the car after spending a few minutes watching the silverette in confusion.

So many different trains of thought chug along the tracks of his brain, crashing occasionally, some running out of coal, and some simply flying everywhere. He's scared. Exhilarated, excited, astounded. He hasn't done a single illegal thing yet (except maybe sitting in someone else's car without permission?) but even so his hands shake, and his nervous knee bobs up and down fast enough to make a drummer dizzy.

How does one learn how to hijack a car in the first place? How often does Riku do this? Why? The ease at which he popped the car's hood and moved random wires around was bedazzling. Riku had even started humming. _Humming. _What kind of psychopath whistles while stealing?

But it's all so alluring, Sora confesses to himself. Everything about Riku is alluring; his knack for trouble, his slight swagger as he walks, the cocky way he speaks, the curve of his smile, the flaming look in his turquoise eyes. He could be described as a big brother figure with his incessant teasing and playful shoves, but all the friendliness behind it borders on flirting. Sora would counter the silverette's teasing by pointing that out, but the brunet is too shy and insecure to try. Well, that, and the brunet doesn't necessarily want Riku to stop.

"Here, take this and this," Riku appears and says, jolting him out of his thoughts. Sora is handed a key and a CD. "Stick the key in as far as it'll go. It's not the key to the car, but it should make the car think it has a key in a second. Then when I start driving, put in the CD for me."

"O-okay," Sora says, quickly trying to absorb the information. As soon as the silverette disappears again, Sora shoves the key into the ignition. Riku closes the hood with a loud band and they both wince. When Riku clambers into the driver's seat, he grumbles, "Sorry about that…. There isn't a fool proof way to close it quietly." Sora just nods, putting his seatbelt on.

"Friken midget damn how does she drive like this…" Riku mutters to himself. His casual complaints about Larxene are enough to make Sora smile and relieve his spirit of some tension. The silverette clicks in the seat belt after a moment, turns to face the brunet and asks, "You ready?"

_Am I really gonna do this?_

Riku's sharp smile and adrenaline flushed cheeks stun him, so he merely nods back at the silverette and himself, unable to answer. Riku chuckles. Like a Miracle, the car starts with a satisfying _vrmmm_.

"Let's see how fast this baby can run."

* * *

Turns out, it's extremely hard to get lost out here. From the camp, there were only three ways to go; strait, left, and right. All three of them extended in a straight line in their respective directions for hundreds of miles, baby streets leading to small towns breaking off here and there. Riku, being a left kind of person, took a left turn and _floored _it. With absolutely no one around to see it, the thrill of it all boils as a fantastic poison in his veins.

Sora is so taken off guard he doesn't even remember to put the CD in. When Riku glances over, he laughs at the brunet's terrified face. His hands grip the car door and the holding compartment in between them. Normally Riku would be worried, but the silverette is so enthralled by the endless freedom that he can't help get lost in it. Glancing between the stereo system of the car and the road, Riku skillfully turns on the system and steals the CD from Sora's lap. The brunet only gives it a sparing glance.

"S-s-s-sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. Just don't jump out of the car," the silverette teases, trying to ease the horror out of the blue eyes shining even in the darkness.

Sora genuinely laughs, but it comes out nervously. "Yeah, uh… I don't really want to die so, no worries."

A hesitation, and then a new conversation. "Wanna know what will make this better?"

"Oh god." Riku laughs again. Sora counters, "Do I even want to know this time?"

Instead of replying, Riku speeds up by 5 mph and abruptly cranks the volume of the CD up. Heavy bass and synthesizer blasts through. If Sora could hear him, Riku would have explained with one word: "Skrillex".

* * *

Sora's parents- foster and birth- never drove fast. They always took their time with things, always obeying the speed limit, always on time, always calm, always, always. Sora drove like his foster mom for this reason, for she taught him in the first place. He had never been in the car with another teenager, but it definitely wasn't what he expected. He had expected awkward turns, jerky breaking and pedaling the gas. But Riku drives like a NASCAR racer, doing everything with infuriating ease and frightening speed.

Sora would ask questions of where he learned to do all this, but the music is too loud. It's a whole bunch of computer generated noises, but for some reason it's… badass. That is the only way to describe it; catchy and stirring. As trees and run down, rusty farm houses blur past on either sides of the car, Sora can't help but let the fear crawl away, ashamed of its self. The hum of the car beckons him to calm, the dubstep vibrates within his bones to kiss them into dancing, and Riku's watchful, happy eyes make Sora want to smile.

His heart rate slowly declines and his rationality returns. As the situation seeps into him like a warm shower, he realizes that the world is _his_ at this very moment. He can reach it all. Time has no control on him. He can control his destiny, too, no matter what fate says. And if has any say in his future, he can make it what he wants it to be. Each mile is a memory he leaves behind, a weight lifted from his shoulders. He no longer has to wonder why Riku's face is stretched to the brim with a wide smile. Thank God is decided to come with him.

The grin and giggles return to Sora and he accepts it, letting out an ecstatic whoop that is lost to the air conditioning system.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the delinquents find themselves at a gas station. Hyper and careless, they fill up the tank while chatting loudly. Riku graciously fills it up and pays it with a gas card, commenting, "She better be grateful."

"For what?" Sora says, laughing and imitating her voice, "Oh, thank you so much for taking my car and filling it with gas! You two are soooo sweet!"

"Yuck, I'd never thought I'd hear her voice in a happy tone. I don't like it," the silverette counters with a disgusted face.

"Why don't you like my-"

"Boys, are you two aware of the time?"

They both whirl around, startled by the sound of the new voice. As if on cue, both their stomachs drop; blue shirt and slacks, a heavy 'tool' belt with threatening looking pockets, and a shiny golden badge, the man is every teenager's worst nightmare.

Sora stutters about, unable to answer the question. Riku, only barely more coherent, spits out, "Y-yes sir." The cop's brown eyes quickly glance over Riku's completely black attire with some resentment. Normally the silverette would take offence, but he's merely grateful it was a "stupid-kids" disproval and not a "thief suspect" look.

The man speaks, "Well, I know you can't tell right now in the dark, but there are neighborhoods around here. I could hear your hootin' from a mile away."

They are relieved that their noise is the man's complaint instead of… they can't even bear to think it, scared to death the cop would somehow read their minds. Sora blurts, "Sorry sir, won't happen again, sir."

"I bet it won't," the man says, starting to sound a little more amused. "So where are you kids coming from anyway?"

The brunet is a deer caught in the headlights again, unable to come up with a quick white lie. Riku, on the other hand, rambles about it before he can even register if it's truth or not. "We went to the midnight premier of the new movie that recently came out… Uh, it was a really long movie so we just got back in town." The silverette prays to god his explanation makes sense. Oh please, God, please.

The cop suddenly looks approving. "My daughter went to that with her boyfriend. What kind of movie was it?"

"Oh uh…" Riku is at a loss of words now. So Sora jumps in, who just happens to know a recently released movie. "Oh, it was a remix fairy tale. Snow White and the Huntsman? Rated PG-13 or something."

He nods, trying not to look relieved unsuccessfully. "Better than them damn Twilight movies…" he mutters. "Whelp. Guess I better be back to patrolling. Drive home safe… you know how to get back to the highway?"

"Yes," Riku says in a rushed, not wanting the cop to offer them a ride or directions home.

"Awright. Oh and uh, don't get caught out this late again. There _is _a curfew, you know. Consider this a warning."

"Oh, uh, thanks," Sora replies stupidly, pulling the most manageable innocent face he knows. No explanation is usually needed after he reveals the 'face'. By a stroke of luck, the man buys it, and walks away casually after one last stern look. Both the boys watch him stroll away, waiting for the man to disappear in his car and drive off. Riku makes a mental note to watch which way he goes, hopefully to avoid him. The silverette also pretends the gas pump is still flowing, though it stopped about five minutes ago.

Soon enough, the cop is gone, and in unison the boys exhale. "Bejebus, that was scary," Sora exclaims, holding onto the yellow car for dear life.

"Oh don't be a wuss. I told you we wouldn't get caught," Riku replies in false confidence. He had been scared too, and Sora knows it.

"We got by on the skin of our teeth," Sora counters disapprovingly. Riku stares back, putting forth his best "I.D.G.A.F." face. The brunet laughs.

"Do you have your license?" the silverette suddenly asks.

"Err… yeah, why?"

"I don't think I'll be able to go the speed limit," Riku admits, sheepish like an arson caught with matches, "It would be better if you could drive back. I can give directions."

Sora contemplates the danger, but decides the silverette is right. Giggling, "Alright, but I make no promises on going the _exact _speed limit. I'll, uh, be a rebel and go five over." The brunet winks, and Riku replies by rolling his eyes.

A loud chinkling sound in the air and Sora catches the source, the jagged edges making his palm nervous. Just keys. Riku's silly spirit resurrecting from the police-scare, he sings in falsetto, "Just shut up and drive, drive drive…"

* * *

**A/N: Woot! One fluffy chapter, served and ready to go! There was a scene with Riku's point of view and Sora's at the same time but meh I can make a ****mistake here and there... If there's any other mistakes, let me know, I has no editor to freshly read my stuff and tell me "Hey, you used the wrong "to"!" or "Wow, uh, this sentence is a babbling like a crack addict". ...Anyway. **

**The (1) was just a note to** **reference to how Sora lost all his memories of his experience in Castle Oblivion. Just a little bit of fluffy irony. I'm a dork that way. :3**

**More intense fluffy next chapter, as they are finally getting closer :D yay! **

**Thank you to all my reviewers! You guys have made my day so many times, I'm probably set for a year! Shout out to: Amy, youknowily, sometimes I don't get myslef, Digimagic, SkylarLight, justice333, AnimeFreak4261, CrazyHighLunatic, kilala2tail, and DreamsComeFromtheHeart! **


	6. Chapter 6: Take a Shot

**Chapter 6: Take a Shot**

Fate applauded their escape with thunder, lightning, and rain the next day. The car had gotten a _teensy _bit dirty on their adventures, what with some of those dirt roads and ….grassy plains…. But the storms proved the ultimate and speedy cure as it rolled in barely before the sun came up. Larxene has been notorious for sleeping till one because she and a couple other administrators like to drain the camp treasury with wine, so the chance of Sora and Riku getting caught went from fifteen percent to negative two point three percent. As an extra precaution, Sora has been praying for the blonde bitch to be wasted whenever she leaves with the car next… He adds on, at the very end, that he hopes the trip will be a safe one.

However, after their crazy trip, Sora decided that it is _his _turn to show Riku his world. The brunet hadn't used it till now, but he had smuggled his laptop into the camp for… business reasons. Though he uses the word 'smuggled' in the lightest sense of the word. His parents snuck the laptop in his bag, not him. Although they aren't actually his genetic donors, they understand the brunet very well... Or at least are very observant. Sora, although usually innocent and fluffy, has a weird addiction to YouTube walkthroughs of horror games, a detail he failed to mention when he bragged about all the kingdom hearts games. And the brunet can't help but wonder; is the silverette easily scared?

But the considerate brunet (or rather, aware-that-Riku-will-kill-him brunet) lets the man sleep, figuring he will open his sleepy eyes around noon. Sora had gotten up around ten thirty, eating breakfast and lounging about in a bored fashion until he remembered his second home. Blue, with a seventeen-point-five inch screen and a ridiculous amount of hard drive space, his Inspiron laptop is the closest thing to happiness that he'll ever find in an object. He flips up the screen, lets Windows stretch its invisible limbs, and then sets to work. To respect the silverette's slumber (he sleeps much lighter after Sora gets out of his loving grip), Sora plugs in headphones and sets about searching for Wi-Fi.

'Lo and behold, one of the administrators set up the World Wide Web; but this guy obviously had an odd sense of humor. The name of the network was an algebra equation. Sora wonders which of the camp-runners could've made it; surely not the blonde one with a severe need of an attitude adjustment. Maybe the depressed-looking one, with the funny name… Zex something. Demyx bragged about knowing him through Namine, confusing Sora about the mullet-head's sexuality. But that's all he remembers. The brunet shrugs his shoulders.

Luckily for him, algebra has always come naturally. He solves it in his head in about a minute and types in the answer as the password. Like magic, his computer connects Sora to the outside world. Facebook never looked so sweet.

* * *

Riku wakes up to giggles. Feeling groggy as usual, the silverette attempts to ignore the noise, but they keep him awake. He cracks his eyelids open and peeks at his watch. 12:01. The silverette sighs, knowing Sora will start jumping on him if he falls back asleep and snoozes till one. Stretching, Riku groans, noticing his extreme hunger and lack of energy.

"Sor… can you make me a glass of milk?" Riku grumbles, rubbing his eyes. He's too sleepy to be vindictive about the request.

No response. _That's odd, _Riku thinks. Usually by now Sora would ask if he wanted whole or two percent. Though most people couldn't care less about the difference, the silverette craves for a specific one on different mornings/afternoons, though there isn't necessarily a pattern to it.

"Sora…?" Riku grumbles again, a slight whine in his voice. Still no response. Growling, the silverette sits up and peers about the room to look for spiky locks of brown hair.

They peek out from behind a blue rectangle resting on the stupid plastic table. He wonders how the two dimensional rectangle is standing. Riku focuses more, fingers itching to find his glasses. But wait, oh, it's a laptop. And upon further investigation, the silverette comes to the conclusion that the white cords hanging off the table must be Sora's headphones. That bastard! He smuggled in a laptop?! And, even worse, he's using it to entertain himself without him and can't even hear him! …Sad day…

Feeling replaced, Riku wills himself to walk over there, contemplating whether to flick his nose, or tap his shoulder on the opposite side of where he is, or to close the laptop so that it scares the brunet and puts the computer to sleep. Is there a way to do all three? Riku manages to stand next to Sora for a full minute before deciding how to torture him, which proves just how enraptured the brunet is by his technology. Then he gets a wonderfully brilliant idea.

Riku bends to Sora's ear slowly, making sure not to breathe on or touch him. Then, knowing the headphones will block most the sound, Riku whispers loudly, "You will die in seven days."

Instantaneously, Sora twitches violently and whirls around, hitting Riku's shoulder and falling straight out of his chair. His bum hits the floor with a low thump. Riku's laughter cannot be held back and he laughs, gripping his side for balance and sanity.

"R-Riku!" Sora exclaims, voice slightly panicked, scared, and outraged, "What was that for!? How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough," Riku replies, still laughing, not bothering with the first question. "That... was so worth it…"

Sora pouts, "That wasn't funny! I was already watching…" The brunet pauses, and then smiles. Suddenly curious, Riku asks, "Watching what…?"

"Oh, never mind, it's nothing," Sora says, beaming, "Are you hungry?"

* * *

When Sora dragged Riku to the doors leading outside (trying to get to the cafeteria to snitch something or the other), he shuddered at the sight of rain. Literally cringed back, and whimpered like a puppy in a thunderstorm. Riku looked upon the crying sky fondly, but quickly recognized Sora's reluctance, and turned back to him. The silverette's skin raises in little goose bumps as he suddenly remembers a agonized bellow from several weeks ago when he left the forest; it had started storming out of nowhere, and Riku remembers the pang of guilt of leaving the brunet in the rain. How could he have been so heartless?

Appearing and feeling uncharacteristically sympathetic, Riku turned and asked, "You wanna stay inside today?"

Looking as though the brunet might cry, Sora nods, obviously trying to pull himself together and seem strong. But Riku has seen him angry, seen him drown, seen him happy, seen him sleep, and now scared. The masks Sora puts on daily are cracking like a clay pot put under too much heat.

The funny thing is, though, Riku likes the boy behind the mask more than the man made of porcelain.

* * *

Sora doesn't know how the hell he persuaded Riku to curl up in bed with him. He had planned to feed the silver beast and then coax him into watching YouTube videos by promising a mutual all-nighter. But the feeding part didn't go as planned; although he had heard the rain when he rose, the brunet didn't think it'd last all day. Hearing rain and seeing it are very different things, the latter being a personal attack on his psyche.

But somehow it worked in his favor. When they gave up on the idea of food and headed back to their room, the silverette took his hand and made him _sprint _all the way back. When Riku closed the door and locked it, Sora leaned against the wall, huffing and puffing.

"What the hell was that?"

The silverette shrugged, but stayed silent. Instead of explaining himself, he dived into bed.

Exasperated, Sora exclaimed, "Riku! What the- This isn't bedtime! I _just _got you up, and I-"

"Get your silly ass over here. Bring the laptop too."

Sora doesn't understand this guy at all. He ended up listening to the silverette's suggestion, and that's how he ended up side by side with the indescribable teen, under the still-warm blankets, laptop whirring in his lap. Despite himself, the warmth of Riku engulfing his left half in warmth and the soft sheets made the terror in his mind ebb away like the sky had run out of tears to shed. He sighs in relief.

Smiling softly, Sora turns his laptop on again, having shut it down when Riku scared him earlier.

"Woah, you got us connected to the internet?" Riku asks, sounding surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you notice that earlier?"

"Nah, I was… busy planning."

Scowling, the brunet replies, "Well no shit, you almost made me break my chair…"

"So~rry."

"You're not sorry at all." The brunet pouts, wishing he could cross his arms for emphasis.

Riku breathes in to reply (Sora is lifted slightly with each breath), but pauses. "Wait, what's the name of the thing?"

"What thing?" Sora asks curiously. Riku points at the Wi-Fi connector, near the algebra-equation name.

"Oh, you mean the network name?" He peers up at Riku for confirmation, but Riku merely looks confused. "I guess," he says, "I don't know why a name would be math."

"I thought it was weird too," Sora replies, giggling, "But if you can solve it, you get the password. Whoever made it is a fair sport in my opinion."

Suddenly, the silverette is pouting, "Not if you aren't good at math… Morse code would be more practical… Or Italian or something."

Suspicious, Sora inquires hesitantly, "Do… do you not like math?"

Riku looks pointedly away, but determined. "If you want the truth, I don't just dislike it; I'm terrible at it."

The brunet's eyebrows try to touch the top of his hair. "What, the Almighty Riku isn't good at something?"

"Oh no, I'm fantastic at everything. Just not that."

"Uh huh. Alright, whatever you say."

Suddenly, fingers are poking into his sides, causing Sora to squirm and laugh. The silverette asserts, "Don't question me!" and laughs along as he tortures Sora's tickle spots.

"Mercy, mercy!"

"Okay, good," the talons leave, "Now I order you to show me what you were watching earlier."

Sora looks doubtfully on the silverette, "You _order _me?" Riku's hands hover threateningly over Sora's tummy. "Okay, okay…. Touchy…"

Well…. Riku asked for it. Sora opens Google Chrome and gets to YouTube, searching 'Amnesia PewDiePie'.

* * *

_Infernal music, that's what they use to get you_. Riku glares at the YouTube screen and at the blonde, Swedish guy playing a horror game. He scowls at his own thoughts too; only when he is scared does his British vocabulary comes out to play, just like unlocking the gates of Hell. He stayed in Britain a couple years as a child- till about age seven- but then his mom swept him away to Houston where her family lived (and still do). But because those words and their pronunciations are the first he learned, they still stick.

"_STEPHANOOOOO~ Where have you been this whole time? Allos, Pewdie. I have been vwaiting for you," _the Swedish man commentates as he rummages through bookshelves in the game, carrying a small golden statue that he named Stephano.

The brunet in Riku's arm giggles, praising the events with a happy exclamation "Stephano!" Sheesh. He (Sora)'s the whole reason the silverette got into this mess. Riku knew that the rain spooked Sora to pieces, so he decided to let the poor guy calm down and be his cuddly self before he self-destructed from too much trauma. 'Cause everyone knows cute things can explode when put under too much pressure.

Anyway, Sora suddenly tenses and so the silverette's attention is distracted back to the screen. Pewdiepie paces down a hallway, comes across a door, and swings it open all in a short span of two seconds. But inside the room is red, silhouetting a monstrous creature, once a man, but now torn and deranged. Sora squeals, Pewdiepie gasps and starts saying random, incoherent syllables. Riku violently twitches, barely containing a yelp himself. Instead he whispers, "Bloody hell…"

"Go, go, go, go!" Sora chants, as if the insane YouTuber could hear him. "Christ, just hide in the closet!" Riku critiques, wishing the man would get away from the monster. The silverette inherently grips the brunet tighter.

Instead, Pewdiepie reaches a door that leads to another section of the house, resulting in a loading screen and evasion from the monster. Both Riku and Sora heave a sigh of relief.

"Why are we watching this?" Riku asks, doing his best to hide his accent.

Sora doesn't seem to notice. "Because it's funny and thrilling all at the same time! It's not like we're actually in any danger."

"_Exactly _why it's ridiculous to watch it! We are scaring ourselves for no reason! And the guy playing is a complete clot."

"But it's fu- Hey. Say exactly again?" Sora asks midsentence.

Oh, bollocks.

* * *

Sora can't believe he hadn't noticed it before. "Come on, Riku, say something else, pleeease?"

"Nope."

"Something with an 'A' in it?" the brunet pushes, just dying to hear that sexy voice again. It's foreign, non-American, but he only caught a little whiff of it. He wants to identify it, and exploit it.

The silverette glares at him, but Sora blinks innocently back at him. He sighs. "I'll just cut to the chase then. Hawrry Poltter," Sora gasps in delight and Riku rolls his eyes, "Happy now?"

"That is so awesome," Sora replies, smiling. If his face were an emoticon, it'd look like 'XD'. "Is the British accent fake or do you live in Britain or something?"

"It's not fake," Riku replies defensively, "I lived in London with my mum and dad when I was young, but when they broke up, mom took me to the 'states."

"Oh…" Sora says understandingly, "I bet that was hard."

"It wasn't that bad," Riku says vaguely, shrugging, "I can learn how to blend easily."

Sora rolls his eyes in disbelief, "Like you did at camp? You became a God on the first day even though you were wearing all black!"

The silverette uneasily looks away, "… I guess you're right. I wear what I wear to keep people away though."

Sora contemplates what he wants to say back. One makes fun of the fact that many girls, smart or not, are attracted to the dark and mysterious types, and guys sometimes like to be around them for the girls or the badass nature of the one wearing black. Therefore his attire has backfired. Or, Sora can ask why he wants to keep people away in the first place. If Riku doesn't like a lot of people around him, why is it he is okay with Sora?

The brunet decides to keep the serious mood. "Why do you want people to stay away?"

Riku looks up to the ceiling in a contemplative fashion, arms behind his head. Sora uses his photographic memory to memorize the way the silverette's brows merge, his eyes slightly squinted but still shining out like the Florida green waters he has seen on vacation. The brunet wonders if his eyes change color according to mood. Sora's eyes trail down. Riku bites his lips while thinking, stripping his pink lips of the skin and it takes every ounce of will for Sora to keep his hands still, wanting to make Riku stop hurting himself even if its innate. The blue eyes force themselves to move on. Riku's arms behind his head force his back to stretch, causing his chest to arch up and stretch the skin, exposing the obviously earned muscles on his chest and stomach.

Is Sora drooling?

Finally, Riku speaks, and Sora tucks away his mental picture, a photo the brunet will surely bring out again when he least wants to see it. "People have a tendency to complain about things that don't matter. Break ups when the relationship only lasted a month. Petty arguments between girls, or guys for that matter. Just teenager stuff. It pisses me off, so I avoid people."

"Wouldn't it be easier to blend in with normal colors than black though?" Sora asks, nervous to make Riku angry.

The question earns him a glance, but Riku responds, "I've just always felt more comfortable in black. I actually don't try to look "emo" or dark, it just happens to send that message across."

Sora can understand that. "Kind of how I look sporty when I'm really a huge nerd?"

Riku chuckles at the brunet's bluntness. "Yeah," he says with a hint of affection, "Kind of like that."

* * *

The silverette rolled away from Sora after the very exposing conversation, needing time to shake off the vulnerable feeling. And to detox from the jumpscares Amnesia offered. His stomach rumbled loudly, reiterating the point that the silverette really needed to do something other than cuddle with Sora- particularly something involving food.

So they managed to get to the cafeteria and strip the kitchen clean of food. After that they played some more video games and piddled the afternoon away, unwilling to enjoy the after-rain sunshine since so much of the grounds were flooded.

That night, though, they decided they needed to something daring and mischievous again. Well, Riku felt the need, and then passed it onto Sora with very little persuasion.

"So… what exactly is your plan tonight?" Sora asks, lacing up his huge Nike tennis shoes.

Riku slips on his (you guessed it) black vans and replies, "I think I'm going to keep this one a surprise."

"That doesn't make me feel any better. We're going to break several laws this time, aren't we?" Sora counters, voice laced with dread but also excitement. Riku notes that his restless spirit has easily infected Sora's.

"You'll see." Sora groans, obviously dying for just a hint, but Riku finds it too amusing to watch the brunet guess and flounder about with himself on whether he should trust the silverette or not. Riku adds with a smirk, "Though you'll have to get in the car first."

When they reach Larxene's car again, the adrenaline kicks in like an old friend. Sora rocks on his heels, unable to stay still as Riku brings the baby to life. The brunet clambers in as soon as the doors unlock, and Riku follows, placing his wallet in the cup-holder for their later misadventures. That's when he remembers; he forgot the key.

"Shit," Riku mumbles, trying to remember where he put it.

"What?" Sora says worriedly.

"Forgot the key. Where did we leave it?"

"Oh… I don't think we ever took it out of the car," Sora answers contemplatively. The brunet helpfully turns on the interior lights and searches his side while Riku feels around his seat and pedals.

After a tense minute, Riku's fingers brush cold metal. "Aha," the silverette grunts, "found it." He holds it up.

Suddenly Sora comments, "How ironic that Larxene gave us the key to our room, that we are now using to steal- err, rather, _borrow- _her car."

"True that. She deserves it though, the munter," Riku replies, the last bit mostly to himself.

"Err… sorry, but what does that mean?" Sora asks. Riku nearly face-palms, "I forget you are a lot more observant than you look."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" The silverette laughs in reply and starts the car, blazing away before they are noticed.

* * *

When Riku parks in front of a liquor store, Sora becomes very concerned.

"You have got to be joking," Sora blurts out, voice monotone and slow as if in shock.

"Nope," Sora can just _hear _the smirk in the silverette's tone, "But don't worry, you're staying in the car."

"What?" Sora says, suddenly irate, "Why are you leaving me in the car?"

"Hunny," Riku counters with mock-sensitivity, "You look barely over fourteen and-"

"Oh, fuck you, I might be older than you!"

"Ah, maybe so, but I _look _older. A nice perk to having silver hair, and having a fake I.D. Being tall helps too, and-"

"I get it," Sora replies, pouting, "Just don't get anything that will dye my insides purple."

Snickering, Riku hops out of the car. While Sora waits, he inwardly debates with himself if he'll give in to drinking; should he, should he not? If he does, the brunet does not want it to be because of peer pressure. Sora knows if he said no, Riku wouldn't care… Something tells him Riku would drink it all, with or without him. Truth is, well, Sora hasn't actually had alcohol before, unless anyone counts a sip of his mom's bloody Mary on special occasions, though he didn't particularly enjoy it. You see, when he claims to follow rules, he _really _follows rules. He doesn't smoke anything, doesn't sneak out, doesn't party, doesn't have sex, and doesn't turn in his homework late or procrastinate. He gets straight A's and panics when the progress report reveals a 92. His parents don't even keep track of his grades anymore. They don't ask questions about what he's doing, where he's going, because they know Sora is trustworthy.

But what is the world on the other side of the coin? When Sora snuck out with Riku last night for the drive, he didn't feel guilty, just experimental. Going through with his self-directed dare. He was scared at first, yes, but after being fed that terrible consequences always happen to those who cross the invisible lines, he didn't dare try anything on his own before. There's also the idea that maybe if Sora did everything _perfectly _life would feel more obligated to send the Miracle his way. But he's crossed a line, and he's been crossing lines more than once like a tic-tac-toe board ever since. It was a miracle that he'd had so much fun. It's a miracle that he's even alive today, for death has almost snatched him twice now, once not too long ago. It's a miracle that he is finally changing himself, though for better or for worse is unclear.

It would be obvious to say that Riku is his own miracle, that Sora is with him now, that they are actually… really good friends. Sora is starting to wonder… is life rewarding rebellious behavior? Or is it that Sora has simply made his own miracles? Neither sound right. Sora can almost _see _the answer but in his mind, the words and ideas are mere fog, a watered down feeling.

And as soon as Sora thinks he's getting to his answer, Riku climbs back into the car with a big, brown bag. Inside, glass bottles clink together from the movement. So his mind goes into overdrive:

_Why do I have to debate every time something new comes up?_

_Mom always said to take chances, make mistakes, get messy. Magic School Bus quote. was pretty awesome though._

_Well fuck it, I guess I'll try._

* * *

"Didya have fun?" Riku asks, sarcastically. "Told you I'd be able to get it."

"You are just one lucky bastard."

"Right you are! See, you haven't even had to break any rules yet. I bought the booze, and I'll be the one mixing it. I'm the one borrowing the car and driving it illegally. The only rule you that you might be breaking is curfew, and drinking alcohol, but only if you chose to." Riku winks at him, smiling in a manic 'I-got-away-with-it' way. But Riku isn't adventure-high enough to forget to make it clear that Sora still has a choice. No pressure involved, but it would be an interesting night if he took a chance. Riku doesn't drink to get drunk; he drinks for fun conversation. Though it would be a lie to say there isn't a smidge of rebellion in the incentives list.

"You are way too excited about this," Sora says, smile emerging as he begins to accept the cheer emanating from the silverette.

"Maybe you're right," Riku adopts a serious, brooding expression, "I'll get back into character then."

Sora gives him a soft hit on the shoulder, "Jackass."

Riku drives him and the bubbly brunet back to camp so that whenever they drink, he won't have to drive intoxicated. The silverette is dangerous, but preferably not deadly. Sora looks surprised when they turn into Hawkeye again, so Riku quickly explains, "I don't drink and drive."

"Oh, yeah, that's good," Sora agrees, "But we can't keep that stuff in our room, can we?"

"We'll hide it somewhere. Just trust me."

"Okay," Sora replies, the quick and honest compliance surprising the silverette. He smiles softly. Finally, some trust earned.

* * *

_Riku hums when he's concentrated_, Sora observes, watching the silverette mix drinks like its cake batter. It's obvious he has been on this job many times before, and the brunet can't help but wonder why. He doesn't want to assume anything, but Sora can't help but disprove. Alcohol in minors can cause brain damage, or at least slow down the maturing process. The thought makes Sora want to reconsider his choice, but his parents always said that drinking in moderation is okay. It becomes a problem when done as a habit, like drinking soda. Of course, the idea of his parents in China completely unaware of his rebellious behavior doesn't make him any less nervous.

"So uh…" Sora starts, deciding to break the silence that made him feel so awkward, "When did you start drinking?"

"Oh, uh," Riku starts immediately, instinctively responding as he is distracted, "You're probably going to find this shocking, but my mom had me mix her drinks since I turned about nine."

Sora is indeed very surprised. "What? That young? And she _asked _you to?"

Riku chuckles in agreement, "Yup. She's not your conventional mom."

"So… I'm guessing you drink a lot then?" Sora can't help but ask. He isn't sure why he is worried about it, why he cares whether Riku gets intoxicated or not but… Well, he wants the best for the silverette, and brain damage isn't on that list.

Even Riku seems to shy at the question, thinking of the best way to answer. "Hmm… I wouldn't say that. When I was young, I'd take sips of mom's stuff, but it was never serious. When I got old enough to know about parties, I would go to those and would take a beer or two… but like I said it was never serious," Riku pauses to contemplate more. "Let me put it this way. I never get drunk. I barely let myself get tipsy, because I think the purpose of alcohol should be more open conversation, not to be stupid."

Sora nods, feeling much relieved even though he can't relate. At least the teen isn't a drunk before he even reaches eighteen like so many others at his high school. "I agree," Sora says, smiling. He turns his attention to the drink in Riku's hand. "So, what is that called?"

"Haha, you wanna know?"

"Well yeah, gotta make sure you aren't poisoning me or…"

"Aww… don't you trust me by now? If you must know, it's a margarita, on the rocks though. Don't have a blender." The silverette hands Sora the drink. He winks. "Don't worry; I won't let you have enough that you'll get sick."

Sora gulps, not knowing what 'on the rocks' means, or why Riku would need a blender. The drink looks slightly green, so he assumes it must be lime-y. Riku, leaning on the table near the warily sitting Sora, takes a sip of his own.

Sora decides to follow suit, carefully lifting the cup, a little amused by how the glass is already cold. He lets the taste stay in his mouth; very citrusy limes, and a foreign taste. The limes are definitely there to dampen the other flavor; it's hardly tolerable. He makes a face, but takes another sip. The allure is still there, though the brunet cannot fathom why.

Riku laughs, commenting, "Wow, I didn't think you were serious when you said you hadn't drunk before." Sora attempts to straighten out his face, but his nose is stuck in a tense facial expression.

"So when exactly do we start feeling weird?" He takes another mouthful.

"You'll know," Riku says, taking another sip just to make it look easy.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, the silverette can tell Sora is a little tipsy, which surprises Riku. Usually by now, a new-drinker would be on the edge of drunk, but apparently Sora isn't a light weight. Either way though, Riku knows it's time to stop giving the brunet drinks. This is actually good for him too, as he is pretty much done as well. He drank faster than his friend, so he has more in his system but he knows his limit. He hides the liquor in the bathroom cabinets and then sits on the couch with Sora, who is lounging across the entire thing.

"You gonna make me space?"

"Hmm…. Maaaaybe. What will you give me for it?" The tipsy Sora is teasing and daring, a note Riku makes in his personal inventory.

The first response Riku thinks of is spoken, "Uh, I'll answer any question you want?" The boy has been asking him things all night, so the offer is bound to get him a comfy spot on the couch. Preferably next to him, of course.

The brunet jumps at this chance, sitting up and making space for him immediately. However, his movements are clumsy and his facial expression is confused, as if dizzy. Riku plops himself down unnecessarily close to Sora, asking, "World spinning?"

"Nah…" Sora replies, "My head just feels heavy. It's weird." Riku laughs, nodding in a clumsy way too.

"So I can ask you anything I want now?"

"Sure, fire away." Usually Riku would put up more of a fight, but the silverette is curious. Also, there is a good chance Sora won't remember most the details of whatever he says, so there isn't much harm.

Sora pensively touches his chin in the classic pose and then says, "I guess I'll just start with the basics. What's your normal life like?" Even though it's a simple question, the curiosity emanating from Sora is so obvious it makes the silverette want to smile.

"Well… I kind of live in the ghetto really. So most the time, I'm trying to save my hide because I have a knack at being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's why I can wrestle so well; it's a useful skill on the streets. So, lots of fighting, lots of drugs, sex, and alcohol." Catching Sora's alarmed expression, Riku amends, "I don't do drugs or sex though, just a drink here and there at parties, like I said before. I mean that all that stuff is around me a lot."

There Riku realizes how strange his life must be compared to most. Most people consider drinking a step away from sinning, a habit used by adults only to relax. Kids use it to escape from their reality, thinking they're invincible, to chase the devils of life with a smile. Riku never saw it that way; being used to it constantly around him, he never saw the harm considering he learned how to control it so young. Even worse, he's been exposed to worse filth, like one night stands and drugs, ranging from weed to cocaine. The silverette had never been interested in the either options but suddenly he feels tainted by his own world. A pang of guilt picks at his heart for even buying alcohol out here.

"Oh…" Sora says, looking worried but also fascinated, "Why do you get in fights?"

Riku coughs uncomfortably, slightly regretting his promise to answer any question. "It… depends. Fight clubs get me extra cash if I win and when my mom hits a hard spot…. I do anything I can. Otherwise, it's just punks trying to prove their dominance and they assume the kid in all black will be an easy target. I guess I kind of wear black for the irony, not just 'cause I like it. Emo kid packs a punch," Riku snorts at the joke and Sora smiles, replying, "You have a point there. I'd have never guessed… I'm sorry you have to fight for money though… it sounds dangerous…" Riku can't help but nod, thinking of all the fights he has won and lost. Either way, someone in the ring gets hurt.

"I always thought it was just a part of where I lived," Riku says, making excuses for himself though he knows it's a weak one. He knows that if he really tried, he could have gotten him and his mom in a better part of town. But he never wanted to, feeling as though they deserved the filth they lived in.

"But if you guys barely scrape by, how did you get here?" Sora suddenly asks, as if a light bulb had flickered on above his head.

"Oh, uh," _that's a good question, _"Mom never really explained how she got the money. She just told me it was for my own good. But I've had the suspicion my dad has something to do about it."

Sora looks curious again. "What's he like?"

Riku scowls, looking like he might spit, "He's just a normal bloke, lives in London. I never see him, nor do I want to. He let mom take me away and stick me in the lowest rung on the social ladder, so I just assume he doesn't _want _to see me or have anything to do with me. Good riddance."

Sora frowns, "I'm sure he loves you… probably just feels helpless. It's exceedingly hard to take a kid away from the mom, concerning custody. It's even worse than adopting." The silverette raises his eyebrows. How would he know about either thing?

"It's too late anyway…" Riku says, a little regretful, "I'm seventeen already. There would be no point in taking me away now." He pauses, making a quick decision, "So what about you? Got any parent issues?"

Sora immediately fidgets, biting his lip. Before the brunet backs down, Riku goads, "I answered your questions honestly, so it's only fair." Sora sighs.

"Alright. I've just never actually told anyone so I'm not sure how to start." Riku waits patiently, suddenly very curious and worried.

"My real parents died when I was young…. Hurricane. The parents I have now adopted me, though they think I don't remember my biological family. The psych said told them I probably repressed the memories, and I let them believe it so I wouldn't have to talk about it."

The silverette is almost lost for words. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sora says, still fidgeting, expression full of sorrow, "I mean, it's my fault they are gone anyway."

Riku is very doubtful. "What do you mean? How can it be your fault?"

Sora is unable to keep eye contact as his eyes fill with tears. Riku barely resists the urge to hug him. "They sent me out to find help; I was the only one small enough to get out of the house because some of the walls had collapsed and stuff like that. But I got lost and didn't find help. By the time someone found me, it was too late. We checked my old house and found the bodies-" The brunet's voice chokes, "You know, the news loves to talk about those who lost their homes to the hurricane… but they never talk about those who lost their lives."

After several moments of thick silence, the silverette asks quietly, "How old were you when this happened?"

"Six," Sora says, sighing and sniffling.

Riku is almost outraged that Sora would blame himself when it all happened when he was so young. "You were so little, Sora… It's not your fault you got lost, it's not like you could have known where to go…"

"But they were still relying on me…"

"Are you so sure?"

The lithe brunet pauses, as if taken aback by the question. Maybe he is. "I… I don't know."

The silence crashes into the room again like a flash storm, and Riku isn't sure if he should ask a different question or wait for Sora to speak again. Usually, the silverette knows how to handle people, no matter who they are. But Sora has always been different, too full of light to be predicted.

Luckily for him, Sora suddenly continues, "But you know… My foster parents have done nothing but love me to bits. They shaped me into who I am, what I believe in. And I am grateful for that," the brunet turns back to the silverette, smiling even has a tear or two rolls down his cheeks.

Riku thinks about how much his mom has put up with for him, even though she is an equal pain in the rear. Neither Sora nor Riku had control on their fate when their tragedies struck, but it's obvious that Sora's response to his was much more mature. Although life is about making mistakes and learning from them, the brunet decided to skip out and play it safe, but even that is better than the silverette's response; breaking all the rules, taking too many chances.

"Speaking of things I believe in…" Sora continues, looking more shy than depressed now, "what do you believe in?" Oh yeah. The brunet is the one supposedly asking the questions.

The silverette could say so much, yet he feels as if he knows so little. "I don't have conventional beliefs…. Uh, how do I explain this…" As the silverette mutters to himself, Sora tilts his head to the side, cutely showing his curiosity. "I believe in the big man upstairs, and fate. But as you can see, I'm far from a saint. I guess I've been waiting for something to happen… to change my life and in turn, me."

"Like a miracle?" Sora interrupts. Riku isn't sure why, but Sora is absolutely beaming, smiling ear to ear. Such a dramatic change from the tears only a couple minutes ago. Probably a side effect from the alcohol, but nonetheless, Riku wonders what he did right.

"Yeah, exactly like that. Though… Lately I've been feeling iffy about it. I feel like it only works if fate is helping, _and _you're willing to change."

Sora nods, replying, "I know exactly what you mean. I always thought it was just the Miracle I needed but… well there's just more to it, even if I don't understand it yet."

Suddenly the brunet yawns, and since he's probably still head-heavy, his balance is thrown off and he leans on Riku. In reality, it's more as if Sora fell on him sitting down. But, acting on instinct as it is harder to think things through, the silverette wraps his arm around the brunet's shoulder to allow him to rest on him. The brunet sighs in contentment. "I'm so glad I found someone else who thinks like I do," Sora mutters, still completely serious, but his cuteness coming back as well.

"Yeah," Riku replies affectionately, "Me too."

* * *

Soon the conversation dies out and Sora slips away to dreaming, breathing lightly. The silverette decides to let him sleep, so he lifts the brunet up and carries him to their shared bed, careful to be gentle and noiseless. Riku decides that changing into pajamas would take too much effort so he tucks them both in clumsily, still feeling uncoordinated and impulsive. They will definitely sleep well tonight.

Riku watches Sora for a few moments, the curve of his face, the button nose, his dark and long eyelashes… It reminds him of a tan snow white having a spikey bad hair day. He chuckles to himself; only Sora could pull off being a princess and a guy all at the same time. He holds the brunet closer, glad that out of all the questions he had asked, sexuality was not among them.

The turquoise eyes are drooping to a close, and Riku's head is getting heavy. He has one more thought before he falls asleep, one that he acts on before he can even think twice. His lips touch Sora's softly, sending a chill down his spine and warmth to his chest. He holds the moment, hoping and praying he won't forget it tomorrow morning. It'd be a miracle if he did.

Unable to hold his head up another second, he lets himself collapse gently onto the pillow next to him, separating the two teens. If he were more conscious, he'd be disappointed about the loss. However, Riku's thoughts trickle away mere seconds after his head touches the fabric and his body relaxes. The silverette's mind gives in to his personal dreamland, filled with a short brunet friend and keyblades.

* * *

**A/N: So NOW you guys know more about Riku. And Riku knows more about Sora. And, and, and... I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Not only that, I have been watching Dream Drop Distance while writing, so I'm fangirling. While I was writing the kiss scene, Riku was talking in a cutscene and made me happy XD. **

**So tell me what you think! :D Thank you to all my reviewers, they have made writing this so much fun! Updates hopefully soon!**


	7. Chapter 7: DAD

**Chapter 7: Disappointment, Acknowledgement, and Denial**

Sora slowly opens his eyes, feeling more rested than ever before. He truly doesn't want to move. His limbs are warm and entangled with the sheets. His torso is up against another; he doesn't have to think twice to know its Riku. He sighs; what bliss just to be beside someone like this. Much better than his teddy bear (that he hid from Riku) anyway…

He tries to remember what happened the day before. The details are foggy, but he remembers a majority of what was said. Only when he became sleepy does the recolection get hazy.

_Everything is cloudy, he's just so sleep… But he registers being lifted into the air. He knows because his brain feels like a brick, too heavy to lift up. Riku must be taking him to bed. It makes him feel like a small child again, but Sora can't help but be happy about it even though it doesn't make sense. Better yet, Riku joins him under the sheets. Sora can't think of another time the sheets were ever so soft. _

_The brunet is almost gone, breathing deeper, and his thoughts are becoming more real than the outside world around him. Slipping… Slipping…._

_Something presses up against his mouth. Warm and soft and-_

Sora opens his eyes wide. What… what could that have been? He can only think of one thing… No, it must've been a dream. Yeah, a dream. And then his mind replies with the worst possible statement:

_A dream come true._

* * *

The boys grew closer over the next week, getting into more mischief and becoming even more inseparable. Inseparable is almost an understatement; they had begun to finish each other's sentences and the amount of inside jokes they accumulated was simply ridiculous. But they finally had to face that new kids would be coming soon- tomorrow, in fact. They had been silent about it, each contemplating how to bring it up and what to say, but finally Sora took the first step.

"So… things won't change when the new people come, right?" Sora asked, shyly looking away from the T.V. screen to his lap. Riku, who sat behind him like a protective cocoon, looked down in surprise, making it seem as though he were kissing the top of Sora's head. If it weren't dark in the room, the silverette would have seen Sora blush.

"Of course," Riku said confidently, but quietly, "It'll be a whole new set of people, but unless we meet a couple people we like, it'll just be me and you." The silverette smiled into the brunet's hair at the thought. A whole new month with Sora, with even more possibilities because the admins will be distracted by the other kids.

"Yeah," Sora said, suddenly cheerful, "You and me!"

At the time, Sora couldn't express how relieved and joyful he was about the simple confirmation. He hadn't known Riku for that long, but he already felt attached. Of course, Sora never ended up mentioning the possible kiss…Even though the memory is so vivid despite being intoxicated, he really isn't sure enough of himself to make the assumption. It'd be an awkward topic. Simply acknowledging the kiss would force the brunette to face whether he liked it or not, whether he is okay with it, and how he would like to treat Riku henceforth. Sexuality has never exactly been on his list of things to ponder. It doesn't help that he's never had a girlfriend anyway…

Wait, why is he even considering this?

* * *

Riku begins to worry about Sora when the clock strikes noon the day before the kids are expected to show up. The silverette isn't sure what's up with him. He had told Sora nothing would change with the new kids… Maybe he's nervous anyway? Well. Riku is officially befuddled. Even so, Riku himself feels as though school were starting tomorrow, urging him to fret over having classes with Sora, so to speak. Last 'semester', the Coach made no attempt to separate the groups of friends that almost immediately formed, but the silverette is very used to situations becoming difficult when he least wants or expects them to. The thought is disconcerting.

But before the silverette has time to question the fidgety brunet of what is on his mind, someone knocks on their 'dorm room' door. Sora, being closest to it, opens it immediately, seemingly relieved to have something to do. Maybe the blue-eyed ADHD midget was just bored?

Leaning back from the couch, Riku peers at Coach around Sora through the doorway. "Hey, Mr. Coach!" Sora says stupidly, smiling. "Hullo, sir," the silverette copies casually from the couch. "Need help with something again?"

Smiling a little bit, the big-boned man replies, "Oh, no, we have everything ready for tomorrow. I just figured you guys would want first dibs on the cabins. We are about to start assigning the numbers."

"Oh," Sora says. Riku watches the way the brunet taps his fingers against the doorway, obviously thinking. Sora turns, inquisitively watching Riku, "Where do you wanna set up camp, Ri?"

To be frank, the silverette doesn't give a single rat tooth as long as he remains with Sora in the same cabin. So in reply he shrugs, "Up to you, I'll just stay in the cabin you pick too." He tries to make it sound casual for Coach's sake. He isn't sure what the adult man had in mind; letting them stay together or not? Maybe Riku is just paranoid….

Unfortunately for them, Riku's suspicions are right on target. Coach grimaces, "Mm… Sorry boys, but we can't let you two stick together. The camp is a teamwork building project, not a…" he pauses, not sure how to phrase it, "Not an army of two." The silverette scowls, disappointment quickly devolving into anger. The brunet obviously takes the opposite reaction and pouts, shoulders slumping. Riku sighs.

"I'll take 1-C then," he says quickly. Right after, Sora mutters, "I'll take 7-B like I had last time too."

An awkward silence settles for a few moments, but the bearded man clears his throat, "Welp. Alright, that works for me. You two can go ahead and settle in so you don't have to deal with the crowd scramble."

After the boys mutter their somewhat sarcastic thanks, the older male departs.

"Meh," Riku says, heaving himself off the couch, "Well, that isn't what I expected." The two boys look at each other.

"It doesn't change anything though, right?"

"No, of course not," the silverette says, glaring at the door, "it just means that we can't do much at night unless we plan it during the day before." Riku shrugs, still disappointed.

"Yeah," Sora agrees, "I mean, we'll be right across the hall from each other. I guess it doesn't make that much difference."

Something about that statement angers Riku slightly more. To the silverette, there is a difference. He was_ kind of_ hoping that_ maybe _somewhere down the line he'd be able to cuddle the brunet instead of sleeping alone…and then blame it on sleep walking when all the boys in the cabin woke up the next day. So that would totally break a few bro codes. So that would probably freak out all the other guys in the camp and further fuel the girls into writing gay porn about them. So what?

Okay, so the desire is completely inappropriate and selfish, but still.

Meeeeeeeeeh.

* * *

They attempt to cheer each other up as they pack, using the T.V. speakers as their iPod dock (another street trick Riku figured out how to do) and jamming out to radio rock as they organize their stuff. They end up trading a lot of stuff back and forth, so about midway through packing the room looks as though they had a clothes war. Of course, one half of the room is covered by bunches of sports shirts and basketball shorts, while the other creates a huge, black, indistinguishable pile. When they turned to collect their items, they cursed at each other for a little while, confessing their deep hatred of folding. Their argument over who-hates-folding-more progresses into a wrestling/martial arts match, with the single rule that they have to be touching a piece of clothes from the floor at all times.

"Mercy, mercy!" Sora laughs from under Riku, who after much difficulty has pinned the lithe brunet. His fingers poke at the younger's ribs as if they are a xylophone, possibly creating a musical masterpiece. The brunet twitches uncontrollably, amusing the silverette to no end. However, Sora's cries of mercy are still an act of surrender and so he relents after a few more torturous pokes.

"I am superior," Riku replies, smirking.

"Keep…dreaming…" the younger pants, shoving the silverette away so he can breathe easier.

"See, tomorrow will be just fine," Riku comments, somewhat to himself, "you couldn't evade me even if you tried."

"Okay, Slenderman, I get it," Sora laughs back, earning a glare.

And so, after two hours of accomplishing absolutely nothing, they finally fold, and settle their separate cabins.

* * *

**A/N: Haha hooow's it going bros? wait, I'm not Pewdiepie. Whoops.**

**Anyway, sorry for the short update, and the length of time for me to put it up. Because of my school schedule, the chapters will be shorter so hopefully there will be more updates sooner. I definitely intend to keep working on and finishing the story, I'm just still trying to adjust to my crazy classes and my own social life. BUT ENOUGH EXCUSES.**

**Suspense is rising, can you feel it?! I can. But then again, I'm omniscient. Tell me what you guys think will happen next?:D**

**Thank you guys so much for the favorites and reviews! They have made this story so much fun, talking with all of you. It has made Sora and Riku really… personal and real, at least to me. :) Updates soon!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Parabola

**Chapter 8: The Parabola**

They spent the night in their sanctuary-dorm despite having put almost all their belongings back in their original cabins. Sora pushed it to be that way, though luckily Riku didn't seem to notice. The dawn seemed, he felt, to bring inevitable change. No matter what the silverette said about it being just them, all these happily ever after scenarios where he'd be the Mario to his Luigi, the Shaggy to his Scooby-doo, the brunet wouldn't –no, couldn't- believe it completely. But his lack of hope only made him cling harder.

The way Sora saw it, their relationship could only be a parabola, a line-graph akin to the motion of a coin tossed into the air. It accelerates up, reaches a maximum height, and then falls exactly the same way it rose up. Riku and he had started off at the bottom, practically hating each other for no reason at all. But then their situation was exponentially altered by their exchanged apologies (never mind his brush with death), and they reached their apex right before Coach told them that they couldn't share the same dorms. It wasn't the fact that they wouldn't reside in the same quarters any longer; it was the dose of reality that life was still running it's ever changing course. It ruined the mood. Before, they had been on a high, getting along so well because neither one nor the other could go wrong. Their relationship before was constantly accelerating, bonding and attaching them to the other with confessions and constant contact. They made their own little world, just them two. There were no limitations, no end, no bounds except for themselves. And for Sora, who has been waiting all his life to feel alive again, he couldn't say no to the challenge. Having reflected, he almost regrets any hesitation he had at all. But would have that only increased their acceleration rate?

But he could not deny that this was no longer their world. Others would be coming, and even if neither of them desires to talk to anyone else, they would have to. Anything could happen in the next month, and with the first month as a very recent example, Sora couldn't rely on anything. Stability has been thrown to the wind. The situation and the truth of the matter picked at his heart like a crow to bread crumbs, scratching at his heart, dousing itself in his mind. No matter what logic he tied himself to, he couldn't wrap his mind around the situation to make the frustration go away. What's worse, he knew that Riku would be willing to listen to the problem, but the words simply wouldn't form. Part of him worried that he couldn't talk to the silverette after all, that he'd be nagging him. He didn't want to be clingy.

He didn't understand. He still doesn't understand. Why is it Riku, the silverette who easily could have been just another person who screwed Sora over for no reason at all, bothered him so much? Sora has encountered countless people, and none of them interested him like this. He was tongue-tied and anxious and happy and distraught. But he, being Sora, bottled all this inside. If the words couldn't form, he would let the confusion fester and infect everything, all the while feeling helpless to stop it and obsessed with understanding it in utter futility.

So, despite himself, the bed with Riku felt colder than before. They had run out of words to say. The silliness had worn off, but it was no longer in a comfortable way. The sheets were full of unspoken questions. The pillows' fluff represented the cloudy space between him and the silverette. Sora had come to know him so well, but the truth of the matter is two weeks hardly says anything about a person except how they talk about themselves. It says nothing about who they really are. Acquainting oneself with their true spirit takes time and effort. The brunet is more than willing to undertake this task, but unfortunately the clock is ever ticking.

All these things kept him up that night, feeling the cold sheets warm up agonizingly slow. The brunet knew without a doubt he was over-analyzing the situation. If he looked at it simply, nothing had changed between them, but the forecast unfortunately was cloudy, with a slight chance of rain. He didn't know how the silverette felt, but he dreaded the next day and he found himself uselessly worrying about the unknown. His wristwatch glowed two a.m. before he began yawning, though Riku had obviously already fallen asleep. The blue, curious eyes watched him in the little light given to him from the moon peeking through the blinds covering the window. His long, silver hair lay tangled in little glinting rivulets on the pillow and his face peacefully rested. His heavy breaths made his chest rise and fall, but towards Sora as he lay on his side. The brunet wanted to kiss him, to see if it felt the same as that unmentionable time from before. He didn't however; the disgruntled teen was too preoccupied with wondering why he would want to do such a thing, why he felt such bizarre urges.

Still, when the silverette started shifting, feeling Sora's body heat and general presence, the brunet didn't back away as he was pulled into the other male's embrace. Even if it was a subconscious instinct, it reassured Sora ever so slightly. The blue eyed brunet, with all honesty, will miss these nights more than anything. For a teen of many jumbled words, Sora cherishes the simple quiet moments like this, which is partially the reason why he had always let Riku sleep in; his selfish intentions to let himself be held. But that isn't all. He wished that they could share the same dorm, not only so that they could be closer constinuously, but because then the brunet wouldn't have felt the shift in mood. He day-dreamed (ironically at night) of how they would-have-been if they shared their temporary living quarters with the two other guys. Or what if there was a shortage of guys and the cabin ended up with only them? They'd probably fall asleep in each other's beds, claiming to have been playing a game and then just fell asleep there. This scenario was definitely possible, with or without other dorm mates. Sora knows that the other guys, if they saw or heard about it, would find this odd, maybe even disgusting. Not that Sora had ever received approval from the other members of the general male population anyway.

He truly does believe that they could have gone on like that forever, enraptured in the world they made by pure accident. But now they are on the down fall. If they are a penny, falling from the apex, Sora wonders which side they'll land on. Lucky heads, or doomed tails?

* * *

The silverette is surprised to wake up next to a slumbering Sora. Every day over the past two weeks, Riku has either woken up by himself or with Sora practically on top of him, begging to be entertained. The silverette would then normally scowl and complain, desperately trying to hide any morning wood he may have (he's a healthy, growing teenager, it happens!). Riku smiled whenever the thought came to mind, but at the current moment, he is shocked by the mere sight of Sora dreaming away. Riku had always figured Sora would look so heavenly asleep, his face finally peaceful and his stormy, beautiful eyes finally put to rest at least for a few hours. But alas, even his face in an unconscious state remains slightly troubled. Riku has only seen an expression as such once before when his best friend, Mikey, passed away. But, the term passed away was putting it disgustingly lightly. If he was taken away, it was by force. Mikey's own force. This memory is a detail Riku forgot to mention to Sora about his life timeline.

Riku looks away, swallowing the instinctually made lump in his throat. He can still see Mikey resting in the open casket, wearing a plaid button up with a random Hail Mary necklace on his chest. The morgue had done his make up all wrong; his skin looked rough, uneven, and dark. His friend's eyebrows were slightly knit together, bracing. And the bullet hole, a cliché cave facing Riku on the side of his head, was obviously stuffed with cloth. His hair was messed up too. Later, to cope with the loss, the silverette would joke that Mikey would have thrown an absolute fit over his hair being mused up as it was, but thinking about it now still puts an indescribable weight on his shoulders.

Seeing Sora's face in such a state, even without the repulsive make up, overwhelms Riku with an undeniable sense of loss. Right then, Riku fully realizes the depth of concern he holds for the very alive brunet. The silverette hasn't moved yet to let go of the slumbering young male in his arms. He grips a little tighter, as if holding Sora together though Riku feels more like humpty dumpty than he'll ever admit. The heartbeat, the breathing, the pale skin is such a blessing, but he knows the truth now. He knows that Sora doesn't relish in life. If life were given to him as an option, he'd opt out; not out of selfishness, but in the true belief that no one would miss him. Mikey knew his decision was a selfish one, a domino effect on the whole high school he was enrolled in at the time. Riku, most of all, barely held on after he "passed". Riku, forcing himself to be the better man, had chosen to drag himself onward in life, fully knowing now that the greatest burden in life is that death could be moments away, and that even though the reaper steals every day, to some degree, the choice still remains in the hands of the beholder. Riku grips tighter again. This is a lesson he hopes Sora never received from his parents' death, being so young.

Closing his eyes, Riku embraces the hurt and weight. This is the only way he knows. Yet, he feels uneasy loving someone so soon. And though he hates the word _loving, _he will not allow himself the denial of calling it anything else. He recollects about all the people he's hurt, all the people he has lost, and then accepts the wave of guilt and fear that accompanies it. Although his heart screams out, his mind makes the decision that now is the time to distance himself, even if just slightly, from the brunet, for self-preservation. He isn't a hero; he has never successfully saved anyone. With that fact, he knows that to save himself of all the hurt of watching yet another friend die that he must keep detract and nullify the bond before it's too late. If it isn't already.

Riku lessens his grip.

* * *

When the boys didn't come out of the dorm, Coach eventually made a ruckus at their door until they finally detangled and kicked themselves out of the room. Disheveled and groggy, the boys stumbled silently to the cafeteria for breakfast, hoping that despite the hype among the adults about the new arrivals coming in a mere hour, that at least one of them remembered the current kids' consistent and large appetite.

Fortunately for them, there was cereal bars left out, and so they devoured those in silence. They each wondered what weighed down on the other and felt offended when neither asked what was wrong. But yet, Sora nor Riku said a word.

Still, they sat together under a tree as teenage strangers trickled in an hour later. They did this to face their new situation openly, yet also to stay out of the way. For both of them, it was a statement that they were a team in each other their minds. But it was also waiting for the change that both of them felt would occur.

* * *

The change came twenty minutes in. Sora, surprised, elbows Riku and says, "Hey, don't you know him?"

The silverette looks up from his collection of torn apart acorns in his lap. Lo and Behold, two Roxas' stand side by side at the entrance, one looking very sour and forlorn, the other looking bright and excited. However, there is no way of telling the two apart by face; the same blue eyes, the same hair even in style, the same mouth, height, and neck. They both are wearing jeans, though their shirts don't match. The silverette blinks a few times. When Roxas, the forlorn one, sweeps his eye over him, Riku waves, severely curious to know what clone he brought with him, and why he has suddenly appeared for a second semester. Roxas' eyebrows shoot to the roof of his hairline when he catches sight of Riku's sparkly silver hair and completely black attire. He nudges his clone-twin immediately, and in synch they look back to Riku. His skin rises in goose-bumps. The happy one smiles and says something to Roxas; he only nods, looking annoyed. Finally, they make their way over to Riku and Sora's tree.

"Roxas, is that seriously you?" Riku says incredulously. He looks between the two, using the trunk of the old oak to help him to his feet. Sora follows suit, but much more lazily.

"Yes," Roxas says, still ever so scornful. It's such a shock after spending two weeks with Sora. "I don't expect you missed me. Oh, and this is my twin, Ventus."

"Hi! I've heard a lot about you… Riku, right?" Well, Roxas would never, ever, admit it, but Riku was obviously missed. The blonde glares at the other. Ventus however continues to look ahead, eyes brightly staring into Riku's. The silverette didn't make much eye contact, but replies, "Yup. Glad I was mentioned. What are you guys doing here?"

Roxas sighs, "Different parent. Just watch The Parent Trap and it'll give you an idea." It still doesn't make much sense to the silverette, but he nods anyway.

Then Riku, remembering Sora, looks to Ventus, "Oh, Roxas knows Sora but you don't. This-" he gestures behind him and glances- to find no one.

The bright and happy one interjects, "Oh, the other one that was here? He went over there by the red haired kid." Ventus points over yonder. Yet another surprise; the tall, freak-of-nature red-haired kid came back as well.

* * *

"Axel!?" Sora calls soon after Riku is drawn into conversation with Roxas. Sora had definitely resented Fate's little surprise, but seeing Axel again was a wonderful reconciliation. The spikey-haired brunet bounces over to the calm redhead.

When he crosses Axel's line of sight, his face completely changes to one of astonishment. "Sora? What the fuck?"

Sora, laughing slightly, replies, "I should be saying the same to you. I never actually left, but you came back. What's up with that?!"

Axel uncharacteristically looks confused. "You…stayed? Well shit then. My uncle and aunt just sent me back, the motherfuckers." Even though he keeps a cool expression, Sora can tell it was obviously a last minute decision, meaning Axel had done something to set them off.

"I'm…sorry," he says quietly, unsure what to say.

"Oh, don't worry, I was trying to get them to send me back. No worries."

"Oh… okay," Sora replies doubtfully, wondering why but too shy to ask.

"So what the hell did you do with no one else here to keep you entertained?" Axel asks, changing the subject craftily.

The brunet hesitates, "…Actually, I wasn't here alone. Riku, the silver haired one you pranked, stayed with me. We uh…"

"Ah, made friends, did we? I'm proud of you." The compliment is awkward. The whole meeting is awkward. It becomes clear both of them had changed already in such a short span of time.

"Oh, Riku's friend Roxas came back too." Somehow, this catches the pyromaniac's attention. "Oh?"

"Yeah, and he brought a twin. It's creepy."

"Pfft, you're creepy, Sora. But you know what I think?"

"I'm not entirely sure I want to know what you think," Sora says sarcastically, but still smiling as he knew Axel would explain anyway.

"We need to go make friends. Let's merge the opposing cliques and prove ourselves to be more than worthless piece of shits in humanity."

"Err…. Sure," the brunet agrees, mostly because he realizes he doesn't want to be too far away from Riku for too long after all. So, they walk over to the still-chatting group. The happy blonde one, Ventus, greets them first.

"Hi! I'm Ventus!" He says it to introduce himself to the tall one. The red-head smirks and nods, replying with, "Axel."

Sora puts himself next to Riku, looking for an opening to join the conversation. However, before he finds one, the administrators start rounding up the kids, urging the stragglers to check into their cabins. Both Riku and Sora are swept into the crowd, getting stuck in their already-unpacked cabins as they help the other boys settle in. They manage to communicate a look of "_I'm sorry" _from across a couple heads, but that is the extent of it.

* * *

Sora's cabin ends up completely full with him, Ventus, a boy named Xion who suspiciously looks like a girl (but being feminine himself, Sora decides not to point it out), and another kid named Chris. They are certainly a diverse bunch. Sora, being bubbly and silly quickly warms up to Ventus, who makes it known quickly that everything in life is something to be excited about. Sora is kindly to the quiet Xion, and although he doesn't get much out of the mute, the brunet receives no hateful vibe so he accepts the silence. Chris seems like a normal bloke, laughing and joking normally but extremely noncommittal to anything that would really define him with a distinct personality. If the brunet didn't know better, he'd call the boy a NPC.

And with a severe sense of déjà vu, Sora thinks, _this is going to be a long summer._

* * *

Riku glares at his cabin companions. Like Sora's cabin, the place is filled to the brim. Both the brunet's friend Axel and Roxas ended up with him, along with a real weirdo named T.K.; extremely tall, dirty blonde hair held haphazardly in a red doo-rag/headband, loose sweatpants and a cotton, white, oversized wife-beater. The teen constantly dances, saying random little snippets of Japanese phrases. None of the boys understand him, so they awkwardly glance at him from time to time, hoping that he'll just sit down and chill the fuck out.

The silverette keeps consistent conversation with Roxas and Axel despite his agitated mood. Even though he is more comfortable with Roxas by previous affiliation, Axel is not the type to ever be left out and so the dialogue naturally flows. Roxas doesn't seem to mind the extremely red, cursing ruffian which is amazing within itself. There must be some good in him if Sora likes him so much anyway. Despite himself, Riku feels a slight twinge of jealousy. Hopefully, he thinks to himself, him and Sora have a better connection than the brunet and Axel. Surely they do, even if things were tense and awkward yesterday. The silverette senses a certain heaviness in the air between them, and although Riku is absolutely convinced he shall agonize over it later, he isn't sure why it hangs there so menacingly now and what purpose it will serve.

By the time Riku's cabin is settled in, the time has flown by unnaturally fast. The boys and girls are called to dinner, but they are seated according to cabin, each table being a boy cabin, then the next being a girl cabin, and so on. This is only the protocol for the first day, which is a logical arrangement so that the clique-making is delayed a day (giving the misfit kids more time to find each other), but it harasses Riku when he is only three giggly girls away from Sora. There is some interaction between his table and Sora's, but talking over the girls becomes difficult when they try to join in the conversation in vain. Thus, dinner goes by very disappointingly.

Coach gives a speech about conduct rules and the bullshit "legacy" of Hawkeye Camp after everyone has eaten. In reflection, the silverette laughs at his fear towards the camp's rules; at first he truly believed that the place would monitor any illegal or otherwise bothersome behavior, but the truth lies in the principle of hide and seek. If it is not seen, it does not exist. The silverette pities any of the newbies in the crowd, listening in slight alarm at all the high standards the Coach lays on them, whereas he completely disregards them now. Riku smirks thinking about the leftover tequila in one of his cabin drawers. Something tells him he'll have to hide it better unless he wants Axel to drink it.

Finally, they are released back to their now-appealing bunks. Riku had chosen his strategically; it was the only bunk that could see through the window at the back of the cabin. Most kids found it annoying due to the consistent light during daylight and nighttime hours, but tonight the silverette is comforted by the stars twinkling through the mosquito screen and glass. He wonders what Sora sees in the stars. Riku always looks up, and finds comfort in the sheer number. They each shine so bright, making him feel important, despite being just a number among the six billion human population. They also make his problems feel smaller, knowing that somewhere out there, there must be someone else who at the very least carries a similar pain. The stars allow him to be optimistic for a change… and he truly hopes Sora feels the same.

* * *

The brunet tumbles into his previously-made bunk once Ventus finally returns from the loo. Sora hadn't trusted him to lock the door behind him, so he stayed up a few more minutes to make sure the door would be secured. Once again, after last semester, he isn't going to take a single chance.

He chose the bunk that could see outside through the single window in the cabin. In Japanese, his name means 'sky' and the term is appropriate to his personality and to the things he cherishes. The sky has always given him comfort and the notion still applies. The moon shines into the room, but mostly onto his bed and onto his face. He searches for the face in the big, white balloon hanging in space and counts the stars around it. The stars whisper their hope to him; they know if they can shine, Sora can shine even brighter. He believes it. He continues to stare at the moon, whispering lyrics to a made-up lullaby that his true parents would sing to him before sleep:

"_Tiny steps are what we take… Walkin' on the moon._

_Oh, I hope my legs don't break, walkin' on the moon!_

_I said we walk forever, walkin' on the moon_

_I said we could be together… Walkin' on, walkin' on the moon."_

Drowsiness falls like rain over his eyes as he hums quietly, and his head droops. Riku's smiling eyes form in his mind as he drifts off to sleep, the image swirling into a beautiful jungle of green grass and blue sky, like the field in Howl's Moving Castle. He can see Calcifer, burning turquoise like Riku, falling toward him and he catches it. Sora, even in dream state, admits to himself that he would not mind it if Riku took the place of his heart and became the source of his strength. As long as there were a place to put Sora's own heart, preferably right in Riku's own chest.

And then, the silly dream fades to black.

* * *

**A/N: Hey there, hope you like this one! It's not super long, but not short either ^_^ Sorry the drama has to start up again, but this story isn't over, and for it to be a story there has to be some kind of plot! Wooo, I need sleep. Much more fun stuff coming up.**

**Some of you guys predicted there would be character returns :) I didn't say anything but pat yourselves on the back for guessing correctly XD I brought some new people in too, so this will be fun. I kind of think of this chapter as the start of season two. Anyway, thank you so much for favoriting and reviewing! It has made all this so much fun, and I will be sure to start the next chapter soon and update as soon as possible. Love you guys!**

**Oh and disclaimer. I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the song Walking on the Moon or Howls Moving Castle. Or T.K. from AngelBeats. Or the Parent Trap. Gees, why do I make so many references?!**


	9. Chapter 9: Our Hearts Are Connected

**Chapter 9: Our Hearts Are Connected**

Someone pushed Sora's personal sleep cycle reset button. The groggy teen wakes up bright and early the next morning, around eight. The camp alarm will ring in about an hour anyway, but the brunet doesn't want to return to his personal dreamland. He sits up, thankful that he is short enough to rise all the way to avoid bumping his head on the bottom of the top bunk. He winces, though, when the old mattress squeaks.

One of the other boys shifts positions. Sora is too groggy to see who, but he silently apologizes for being noisy. It's strange, having to worry about that. With Riku, he could blast a tuba or even screech on a violin and the slumbering teen wouldn't even twitch. Nonetheless, the brunet can certainly respect others' light or deep sleep.

Sora clambers out of bed as tacitly as he can. He tiptoes across the wooden floor, mapping out his route to the bathrooms in his head. However, when he reaches the cabin door, he feels a tap on his shoulder. The brunet twitches violently when his heart lurches in his chest; it is way too early and dark to be feeling taps on the shoulder. Whirling around, he comes face to face with Ventus. Smiling in a content sort of way, the boy greets, "Hullo."

Sora releases a breath he held too long. "…Good morning," he replies awkwardly, smiling back. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but I was going to wake up soon anyway. I hardly ever sleep more than 8 hours because I sleep so lightly." The boy's openness surprises Sora, bringing Riku to mind yet again; to get anything definite out of him is a task within itself.

Nevertheless, Sora replies sympathetically, "I know what you mean… Well I need to use the restroom so I'll be back..." He takes a step back slowly, closing his hand over the doorknob.

"Oh, so that's where you were going…. Mind if I follow you? It is morning after all." Normally Sora would find the request flat out strange, but he decides that this socially awkward kid is going to be his friend. Ventus had a point anyway; every guy needs to use the loo right after waking up. He couldn't really expect Ventus to stay behind when there are several 'stations' in the bathrooms of the camp. Thus, Sora nods, laughing a little bit.

* * *

Although Sora and Riku were obviously the closest of the group, Axel is the one that brings the breakfast club together. The flaming redhead had woken his cabin-mates up two minutes before the tocsin sounded and had single-handedly managed to drag them out of the beds and get them to dress, stumbling out of the cabin for breakfast before the other cabins managed to organize themselves. When they reached the cafeteria, they sat together out of convenient affiliation.

A few minutes afterward, Sora and Ventus entered the room. Axel called them over; when Riku turned, both the brunet and Ventus looked surprised to have been called. However, Riku smiled lightly and waved over to Sora, hoping he'd sit across or next to him. To justify this, Riku told himself that it was too early to be torturing himself by pushing Sora away. He watches, hopeful, for a sign. Blushing, the blue-eyed wonder sits across from the silverette, allowing Ventus a place next to Sora on the next table. Axel happens to sit on the other side of the brunet, causing Riku's insides to spark a little flame of jealousy again.

"Good morning, sunshine," Axel says sarcastically to Sora, "Where's your other cabin people?"

Sora replies, discreetly glancing over to Riku a few times, "Oh, I let them sleep. I left a note saying they could sit with us if they needed some friends though."

Axel cackles with laughter, "There's the social butterfly!"

Roxas immediately scowls, still grouchy from waking up, "You are so fucking creepy."

Immediately turning to give his attention to the sour blonde, Axel smirks and retorts, "No, I'm friendly. You haven't seen creepy….yet." Roxas glares back, too irritable to say anything back.

Riku decides to butt out of that conversation, finding no interest in their weird, abrasive version of flirting. He catches Sora's eye and smiles. "Sleep okay?"

Smiling a little bit, bashful, Sora nods. "I managed to make a friend. Remember Ventus?" He tilts his head to the sour blonde's twin who is too busy gaping at every detail in the room to notice the others. Riku nods. "Yeah, surprisingly your redhead friend is…stand-able. Though his face isn't exactly the first thing I wanted to see this morning." Sora giggles, replying, "Yeah, my friend from the last camp, Demyx, hated that 'cause he'd stay up so late playing his guitar."

"Ergh, then my night owl schedule is doomed for sure." Sora nods, smiling again. Riku suddenly feels like it's that first night all over again, where him and Sora talked to each other as nice as they could manage, trying to break the ice and be friends. It all seems out of order now though.

Sora catches Riku's attention again as he looks to the Japanese blonde at the far end of their table, sitting across from Roxas. "So, who's that?" the brunet asks.

"We aren't entirely sure. All he does is dance and speak random Japanese phrases. We think his name is T.K."

Sora raises his eyebrow, "Japanese?"

Ventus intercedes, suddenly noticing their presence, "Oh, Japanese?! I've taken Japanese for three years in a row now; I bet I can talk to him!"

Chuckling, Riku looks over to the happy blonde, "You can take a shot at it, though I wish you luck." The silverette is amused by the polar opposite personalities of Roxas and Ventus, perpendicular to their perfectly replicated looks. However, before the silverette can register anything else about the bubbly blonde, Ventus is up and away, coming to sit between him and T.K.

"Konnichiwa!"

"Aahhhh, konnichiwa!"

And thus, the weirdest friendship ever is formed.

* * *

Sora watches the doors for Xion and Chris to come in. By the time Chris arrives, he has already found others to sit with so he merely waves to Sora and then gets into the food-line with a couple girls he obviously knows. They look very similar, so he assumes they must be relatives.

Xion however comes in towards the very end, wearing tan cargo shorts and a black jacket with the hood up. Somehow, he still looks undeniably girly to Sora. Nevertheless, he calls out to him, hoping to somehow catch Xion's attention. Success of the intention is hard to confirm, considering his hood is up all the time.

But, fortunately, Xion ends up sitting next to Sora quietly. Riku glances over to him and sends a questioning glance Sora's way.

"Uh, this is Xion. Xion, this is Riku." Xion nods. "Err… he doesn't talk much."

Riku smiles understandingly. "I went a whole month without speaking before. I get it… Nice to meet you, Xion." The mute nods, and Sora catches a small smile back from under his hood.

Suddenly, Axel bursts into the conversation, "Looks like we got the whole gang! Anyone got a lighter?"

Sora half-glares back, "Axel, a lighter? What for?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I have my reasons."

"You would end up starting a forest fire," Riku counters disapprovingly.

"Well it's not like there's anything _else _to do, is there?" Sora and Riku share a knowing glance. There's a _lot _to do here, not that they'll illuminate Axel (of all people) of the infinite options. They chuckle at each other.

"Woah, woah, there. Don't get all awkward buddy-buddy on me," Axel says, suspicion in his eyes and face.

Sora, being witty for once retorts, "Well _excuse _me, I thought you _wanted _me to make friends, hmmmmm?" Riku heartily laughs when Axel's expression falls into shocked thoughtlessness and then pouting, an expression truly unbecoming on a teen so 'hardcore'.

"You guys are fucking _mean!_"

Roxas, who had been listening in, replies, "You deserve it, you wuss." Axel sticks his tongue out at his offender, earning another snide comment, "So mature."

"You know it, Roxy," Axel smirks back, returning to his badass façade. Riku rolls his eyes.

Then, finally, the bell rings to end breakfast.

* * *

The group immediately agrees that staying inside is the best course of action. Most of the other kids anxiously sprint out of the cafeteria, excited to try out all the different sports options. As soon as the cafeteria is relatively empty, Axel starts spouting random activity options, like cards or chess or his personal favorite, pyromantics. Unfortunately for him, burning random paraphernalia did not sound appealing to anyone but him, though Roxas and Xion didn't seem to care one way or another. Ventus translated T.K.'s dance-off suggestion, but he seemed to be the only one confident in his dancing abilities. Ventus apologizes, "Gomennasai, T.K."

Just then, a big bowling ball of a man saunters up to their table. Riku and Sora look up, slight dread equal on each face. Coach clears his throat and asks, "What are you boys up to today? Sun's shinin'."

An awkward moment of silence ensues, as they all assume Axel would take over the conversation. However, the redhead doesn't tend to cooperate with authority well (go figure) so he stays quiet. When the lack of response becomes unbearable, Sora stutters, "W-we, uh, we aren't sure yet, sir."

"Humph," Coach says, reproachful, "There's plenty of things to do outside." The brunet barely catches Riku's quiet sigh. They all know where this is going. Coach continues, "Why don't you guys go start a basketball game? The court has a few kids who want to play but they don't have enough people."

They all collectively glare at him. How old are they again? Doesn't he think they can figure out what they should do? However, they know arguing would be pointless. Refusing him would be like signing a contract with the Devil without reading the fine print.

Sora, being aware of this, awkwardly replies, "Er.. yes, sir." The man smiles, though the expression somewhat looks like a grimace, and nods. "Besides," Coach grunts, somewhat to himself but also to the group, "you boys are too pale." And thus, he meanders away towards the kitchen.

* * *

When they reach the _empty _court, Axel exclaims, "Pfft, what a hypocrite. He sends us outside, saying there would be people here, and then heads to the kitchen… Annoying."

Ventus, trying to lighten the mood, replies, "Maybe he's just trying to make sure we stay healthy… like he doesn't want us to end up like him. And maybe the people that were here before left."

Axel hesitates, but still comes up with "…Meeeh," to compliment his attitude.

"Come on, Axel, it'll be fun. You're tall anyway," Sora joins, defending Ventus's spirit.

Before the redhead can continue his grumbling, Riku exclaims, "Okay girls, we need team captains."

T.K., who seemingly understood the statement, says with a Japanese lilt, "Riku, one." The silverette glances to the twitchy dirty blonde, eyebrows raised.

Roxas smirks, "Yeah, Riku, how about you be the team captain like you were in soccer?"

"Don't be a douche," the silverette glares jokingly. But he sighs in submission soon afterward, realizing that he is probably one of the best people to be such a captain. But who could be his worthy opponent…? He smirks.

"Alright, well, if I'm team captain, Sora has to be the other one."

They all turn to Sora, who immediately blushes and looks skeptically around at the group. "Me?" He points to himself, and they all smile.

"Yes, this'll be perfect," Axel says, laughing almost maniacally. Ventus giggles. Both Xion and Roxas show a small smile. After a moment, the brunet's blue eyes catch Riku's turquoise ones. The silverette gives him a genuine, reassuring smile. Sora smiles back.

"Okay, Riku, you're on!"

* * *

Despite himself, Sora is appreciative of Riku's recognition as a combatant. The assertion was true to their experiences the past two weeks, being with him alone. It had been a constant competition between the two of them, compassionate and friendly, yet fierce and glorious fun. However, with the added twist of others, the brunet felt dragged along with the group, rather than the reason for half of its creation. The idea may simply be a default suspicion in his head, or genuine. Nonetheless, it scared him. Remembering how he had been picked last almost every single time last semester (until the month came close to an end because the girls finally realized that Sora was a worthy, and quite frankly needed, addition to their team) was enough to make anyone nervous.

But Sora's captain title brings closure to those memories. So perhaps, the truth of the matter is that he feels homesick; but sick for his place with Riku, not his parents. Even though it's only a few hours into the second day, the loneliness is creeping onto him. He hopes that his new friends will remove the urgent longing, and that his and Riku's relationship will adjust and blossom again.

They stand side by side. He finds himself distracted, inwardly analyzing how before, being within inches of the silverette would not stir him. However, now, the brunet is flustered. He knows so much about the silverette that at least part of him feels as though he ought to 'own' Riku by default. Only Sora can be the friend Riku needs; true, and honest, and fun, and… he is aware that this arises from his inherent anger at fate; Riku's permanent friendship is the price that Sora has given to God. But he knows that the silverette is no toy, no object to be bought and sold. That is where his frustration and loneliness creeps in to sow doubts. Why should he have to share when he, surely, connects with Riku better and more than anyone else?

But another part of him is simply bewildered by his own urges and feelings. They are foreign and strong, reminding him of the Mongols; strong in military and fresh disease. This isn't a normal invasion of amiable love for someone new he has allowed into his life. It has doused his whole heart in a way he cannot explain, cannot even begin to compare it to anything he's ever felt. The closest emotional experiences to this are the nights he's mourned his parents. It's a sharp and lasting pain akin to plucking the strings of a guitar; the sharp twang of the string and note, followed by the resonating sound extending out. But it still isn't quite the same, just because Sora isn't despondent. Instead it is almost a pleasurable kind of torture.

Ugh. It really doesn't make sense.

"I guess I'll start. Alright, Roxas," Riku beckons the blonde to his team. His voice jolts Sora out of his personal trance; he blushes when he catches Riku's inquisitive glance yet again.

"I pick Xion," Sora says, knowing that if he didn't pick him, no one would.

"Axel," Riku chooses.

"Hmph, that's surprising," the pyro comments. Riku shrugs, and gestures back to Sora. The blue eyes watch Axel pace over to stand next to Riku.

"T.K," Sora decides.

"Right on, Starry Heaven!"

"Is that the only English you know?"

"Eh?"

Sighing, Sora gestures for the language-confused teen to come over. Smiling, T.K. complies while Riku and Axel chuckle. Patting Sora's back, Axel says, "I betcha he's great at basketball… just don't try to plan out tactics."

Laughing, Sora sticks his tongue out. "We'll still win."

* * *

Riku tilts his head to the side, wondering what to do about Ventus. It's obvious the boy won't be even slightly useful in basketball (he's practically a cheerleader already) but he knows Sora might be miffed about his hesitance to pick him. Another issue is the simple fairness of the game. There are only three people on each team, but Ventus is literally the odd one out. The silverette has no desire to find someone else to join in on their game, but he supposes that if Sora insists, he won't complain.

"Well, Ventus, I'd gladly put you on my team, but it'd be kind of unfair." The sickening smile never leaves Roxas's twin's face. It doesn't unnerve or annoy Riku, but it strikes the silverette as extremely out of place. It reminds him of when, at his high school, an autistic kid was assigned a spot at his lunch table. The kid wasn't annoying, just different and a little awkward in his very rebellious group. They didn't relocate tables because one, that'd be a little cruel, and also there was simply no room anywhere else.

He looks to Sora, hoping he'll interject to make a decision. The brunet contemplates the situation, but then Roxas, for once showing compassion for his brother, asks, "Would you like to keep score for us?" There is no scorn in his voice, or even in his face. Riku watches as Axel's face is transformed into shock, and something softens in his eyes.

But the usually temperamental blonde isn't paying attention to the redhead; he walks over to his brother who is still at least a little distracted by the lines on the basketball court. Ventus looks up, still beaming. "Oh, do you guys need a score keeper?" The silverette is surprised to realize that Ventus wasn't even aware that he was the last to be picked.

"Mhmm," Roxas says, reaching into his pocket to procure a pencil and notepad. "Here," the blonde offers. Ventus takes it. Some of the discipline returns to Roxas's voice, "Now remember, you have to pay attention to the game, okay?"

"Sure! It'll be fun!"

Roxas smiles, "Yeah, thanks bro."

"For what?" The blonde pats him on the back, sending a significant glance to the others. "Nothing," he says, "Just go find a place to stand or whatever."

* * *

The game is 4-3, with Riku's team in the lead. However, Sora is still optimistic. T.K. made the first basket, flawlessly understanding what Sora needed from him. The second he himself made, aided by Xion's death stare on Axel.

"Damn, he's scary." This actually earned him a feminine giggle from the mute male(?), which further distracted the redhead as he stared incredulously. That's when Sora slid around Riku easily with the ball and made a slam dunk despite the silverette's adamant protests and desperate calls for Axel's assistance.

"Damnit, Axel!"

"I'm sorry, Xion freaked me out, it's his fault!"

"I don't fuckin' care, you owe me a basket."

In ten minutes, the redhead managed to even out his debt. Unfortunately that gave them the one-up. Really, it came down to Xion to make up the difference as Axel blocked T.K. and Riku courted Sora. Roxas was an aggressive but also slightly clumsy player. His main card was intimidation against Xion but unfortunately for Riku's team, it progressively lost affect. Xion, after weaving around Roxas enough to make anyone dizzy, took a couple shots and missed once, but made it the other. Sora ran up to him and high-fived the smiley male immediately afterward. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and Sora smiled, satisfied.

Then suddenly, Ventus called, "Okay, half-time break! The score is 4-3, Riku leading!" The blonde prattled on about individual contributions on each side; anyone listening would have been amazed at the detail, but for the most part they were all too exhausted to do anything but focus on recuperating.

They keep to their teams, though since the dark-haired male does not speak, and the blonde on his team does not speak English, Sora ends up looking on to Riku longingly from across the court. He can't help but notice that Riku and Axel are quickly connecting… Not necessarily like him and Riku, but still bonding in the way that only two dark-siders can do. Although Sora wishes himself to be happy for their newfound friendship, in reality, he only feels jealous. A small tendril of self-hatred rises from the soil of his heart; how can he be so selfish to be jealous of Axel? He deserves a good friend like Riku just as much as Sora does.

The brunet sighs and turns to T.K. and Ventus' conversation.

And then he hears a whisper, so quiet and strange that he's almost certain it originated in his head: "He's still yours."

* * *

Riku distracts himself from the adrenaline rush induced by playing so intensely with Sora by focusing on Axel. Although the silverette becomes jealous whenever the redhead so much as _glances _at Sora, the feel between them is completely different and it reassures him. After all, if Riku is preoccupying him, how can Axel take Sora's attention away from the silverette? As for Axel and Riku's friendship for each other, it easily reminds him of home, though in a better light. He can easily imagine drinking the night away, club-hopping, and partying with Axel while not even blinking twice at any shocking thing the redhead could come up with. The aloof vulgarity of Axel to complement Riku's cool facade creates the perfect distraction from the silverette's soft side.

So when the game starts up again, Riku makes it a point to joke around with Axel, purposefully making openings for the redhead to insult him or joke back. Desperate times call for desperate measures; normally allowing such harm to his pride would haunt him in Riku's sleep. But, in all fairness, this ploy at friendship is really a form of using the pyromaniac. Despite himself, the silverette's insides receive a pang of guilt. These underhanded dealings are exactly what Riku didn't want Sora to see in him. If only it could be simple. If only Sora didn't have to remind him of everyone he has loved and lost. If only Sora could reassure him… of what, he isn't sure. Riku, in all his self-knowing glory, still isn't even certain what exactly he wants out of Sora. Does he want to be told Sora will never die? Does he want to be told that Sora loves him back? Is it a combination of both?

Yet again, the silverette can't understand the person he currently knows the best, nor his own soul.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Everyone is pretty much friends at least, even though it's all complicated. Hehe, hopefully there was enough comic relief to make up for It though :) Tell me what you think!:D**

**Thank you guys, yet again, for your continued support of this story, and I will be updating as soon as I can! Until next time, **

**Hannahble**


	10. Chapter 10: So Many Questions

**Chapter 10: So Many Questions**

Although the basketball game had started out as a simple, forced waste of time, Riku finds himself increasingly troubled as the game progresses.

See, Riku is a competitive, stubborn person; a quality he has never acknowledged of himself. The silverette likes to view himself as one who is always calm, always quiet, always following, always in the background. But as a teenager still forming his own identity (a line his mom often told him straight from a parenting novel. She has 'selective reading', akin to his selective hearing), he has been somewhat purposely and blissfully unaware that he is not always calm, not always quiet, rarely following, and hardly ever in the background.

Anyway- the point is- though Riku hates himself for it- about halfway through the third quarter his restless spirit feels an itch, an incessant poking that he must win the game. He glares at the opposing team and Sora himself, though hopefully not as harshly. Axel, the brunet's redheaded friend, mutually incites his temperament to match, and soon they create an aggressive, tactical army of two. They include Roxas almost flawlessly soon afterward, the competitive bug infecting them all like a bad cough.

Riku hadn't felt this way since the last time him and Sora were bored enough to play checkers. The brunet proved to be not only efficient but skilled at the child's game. Little time passed before the silverette began losing miserably. Sora offered to provide friendly counsel, but the irritated teen didn't want to accept. It was an irrational response that he had difficulty extinguishing. However, Sora took it in stride—at least, that time. When he won, the brunet retreated to his computer for a while to allow Riku time to neutralize himself. A humiliating necessity. Now though, the blue-eyed wonder can't possibly a soothing mediator; the game has already become personal for him, though not intimate between the two of them.

When the game ended, scoring 7 in total versus Sora's 5, the adrenaline high declined. Though Sora was congratulatory and the others didn't seem to care one way or another, Riku felt a rock had settled in his chest. It had nothing to do with the people, or his own teammates, or his opponents, and this is what bothered him.

He had been thinking for a long time that now is the time to acknowledge and change. Ever since the idea settled into the back of his mind, it festered and grew until he believed. And when he believed, he began to change. It was subtle. At the beginning of camp, only a month ago yet a lifetime to him, the only emotion registered in his heart was irritation. It was the embodiment of frustration that nothing had changed in his life whether time passed or people came or went. Riku realized that he himself must change when the camp really set in motion because the red hot boiling in his chest never left, even though his whole life was miles away; everyone he had ever known and anything that he would usually endure was gone. Despite this, he still managed to create a hurricane of problems for himself, and another person—Sora.

In fact, when he met Sora, the whole process seemed to accelerate. He spent many nights gazing at the endless night sky, seeing only stars- and that's all they were. Just stars. When he was a child, he had wished on stars believing in their mystical powers from the fairy tales of old. Over time, that hope and faith simply dwindled as he waited and nothing changed. He gazed at the stars, and became tired of seeing nothing. Of course, having been told the truth of the God's glitter, the silverette did not believe in that sort of fairy magic now... But still he was tired of seeing nothing in something he cherished _so much_ so long ago.

And at that moment, when he wanted nothing more than to cherish them as if to grasp some wisp of himself that he must have lost, he realized that they can and do mean 'something'. Anything tangible and intangible can possess meaning, depending on the eyes of the beholder. He controls this power within himself, to cherish something or to toss it aside. With this in mind, he realized that the stars, though they shine and twinkle and hang above him, they are not superior to him. He is the same as them; twinkling through existence with all the others, desperately fighting to shine through the darkness. All those stars…. They still shine one by one. Riku, in all his flaws and in all his bitter memories and false hopes and dreams, can shine too.

It was a strange feeling, this round-about, newfound acceptance to his own existence. This is what led him to finally face Sora, the scapegoat to all his hatred of humanity for no reason at all but his own naivety. He realized his mistake, managed to swallow his pride by a miracle, and apologized. After that though, there wasn't anything new he could think of to change to make himself better. All he could think about was being his best for people like Sora, whatever that Riku may be- however irrational the task seemed. He felt in debt to the brunet personally, after all. But now, after this stupid game, he realized something new. It was a simple trait, a small component of his personality that could be used for advantage… or for harm.

He saw the competitiveness now. It was blindingly apparent through the two weeks he spent with Sora, yet he didn't- couldn't- bring himself to explain his actions whenever they were opponents instead of partners. He was stubborn. The silverette feels a pang of regret and a stunning sense of misdirection. All the options for the future, new insights to the things he has done, and feelings surrounding them, makes him sick to his stomach. Literally.

* * *

Sora seems to be concerned for the silverette later in the day. He becomes a chronic inquisitor, asking any question that might be worthy of a response from the ever pensive Riku. Most of the time, he merely shrugs out of thoughtless instinct, and then cringes at the disappointment in those sky blue eyes.

What Sora didn't learn about Riku over the two-week paradise period is that whenever some intricate personal confliction comes to life, the silverette closes in on himself like a turtle in his shell. The habit is really a subconscious defense mechanism, for though Riku is aware of the habit and tries to ground himself in the tangible world progressing around him, the teen always ends up lost in thought no matter where he is, who he is with, or what he is doing until the inward skirmish is resolved.

The emotional stress or damage inflicted on others by Riku's neglect was unintentional and completely "nothing personal". The fact of the matter was that the silverette had stumbled across a characteristic of himself that he isn't quite sure how to handle, and until he comes up with a solution his social activity will be practically null and void. Unfortunately for Sora, Riku could not explain this to him; he was too lost in thought.

* * *

Later that night, the crickets chirp louder than necessary all around, as if desiring to override the terrible noise of all the children in their campfire groups. The sun was just about set, as if it trying to crawl and stumble into bed ill. The stars above laugh.

Sora, disconsolate and distressed, watches Riku through most the night. Though the fire is meant to warm the soul as much as the body and the marsh-mellows meant to induce all the little sillinesses, well… With Riku completely taciturn, the brunet can't bring himself into spirit. Sora sits quietly in between the silverette and the ever-so-chipper Ventus. The blonde is in deep conversation with Axel and Roxas, who have taken to playing with the dancing flames instead of putting the poor marsh-mellows out of their misery. The scene is strangely cute, but the situation only causes Sora to develop a bitter taste in his mouth as he watches with yearning and horrified rapture.

Axel smiles wide as he threatens Roxas with a flaming, fluffy white blob, flinging stray melted globs occasionally. The sour blonde pretends to be repulsed, but the happy, glittering blue in his eyes betrays him. Sora wonders how Axel, obviously one who has gone through much, can be so simplistically happy. Obviously the teen is angry at humanity, yet in his eyes there is a love of life, even a peace with it, that the brunet can simply not understand. But then, he isn't understanding a lot lately.

But Sora tiredly drops the subject within his own mind. As if the Eeyore beside him were taking up too much 'thinking space', the usually peppy brunet is unable to come up with any reasonable thought. The dizzy dreariness reminds him of his inebriated adventures with Riku, except drained of all the happiness that accompanied it.

The redhead laughs loudly, drawing most of the attention from the group.

"Axel, you're going to make people think we're actually having fun if you keep being so loud," Roxas chides teasingly.

"But isn't that the point, Roxy?" The disagreeable blonde has acquired a rather feminine and sassy nickname, but the fact that _Axel_ designated the label somehow makes it okay. "Think about it. They want to believe we are all miserable little fucks. This way, they'll question their own peace of mind." He winks.

This time, both Ventus and Roxas roll their eyes, in sync with one another enough to creep anyone out.

Ventus says, "That's mean, what did they do to you?"

Roxas says, "Don't get all cocky, you obviously pulled that excuse out of your ass."

Of course, Sora's attention strays to Ventus, and Axel's to Roxas. The brunet and Axel give each other a glance and he asks, "Sora, do you think they have the telepathic ability that twins are supposed to have?"

He beams at the affronted expression on their faces. Simultaneously, they say, "Definitely not." Immediately afterward, Ventus laughs while Roxas scowls. Even Xion, who sat down on the other side of Riku (sharing his silence) awhile back, laughs at the irony.

"Do you like pissing me off?" the notorious blonde comments when the laughter quiets. The statement sent to Axel from Roxas was most likely meant to be threatening, but it came across half-hearted and the red-head put his arm around the blonde.

"Oh Roxy, you know I do."

* * *

The next day, Sora, Ventus, and Xion arrive at the breakfast table to discover only two present. Before the brunet even questions, Axel says, "He mumbled something along the lines of 'fucking sick' and told me to 'fuck off' so I decided to let him alone." The redhead shrugs.

Sora's eyebrows knit together. Sick? It's rather convenient to be sick right now, isn't it? Last night he zips his lips, before that acting borderline angry with him during the basketball game, and now he is avoiding everyone altogether. Is this Sora's fault? What is wrong with the silveret, and why hasn't he told Sora about it? Time has propelled them forward only what, two days, and already the brunet feels as though every connection they had was cut like a string. Though Sora is of the male persuasion, he is caught between either crying or hitting something.

He tries to tell himself that he is simply over-reacting; surely Riku is just feeling under the weather- and who knows, maybe that is why he was quiet last night?- and he'll return later or tomorrow and things will get better.

But the strength of the emotions brought on by such a simple occurrence perturbs Sora. Why does he feel so forlorn without Riku near him? Why is he so worried about what he's thinking, what he's feeling? The brunet realizes that although he obviously acquainted himself with one side of the silveret, he is presently meeting the other. He remembers his previous melancholy prediction that they had reached the height of their metaphorical relationship-parabola before camp restarted. He had pessimistically believed that they were doomed to plummet back to where they were before. But Sora doesn't want to hate the silveret; he's gotten a taste of his best, so surely Sora can manage his worst?

Sighing, the brunet takes his normal spot at the cafeteria table, engrossing himself in the black and navy blue specks against the gray plastic. T.K., expressing the extent of English he knows, asks, "So-ra O.K.?"

His head nods but if they could see his eyes they'd know he was lying. "Yeah, I'm fine. Tired. Arigato, T.K." Sora just happens to know 'thank you' in Japanese.

Nevertheless, Axel nudges him with his elbow, "You could go see him, you know. You can take my cabin key and sneak out of whatever game we get dragged into."

The blue eyes gaze gratefully at his considerate friend. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Well, shit, you know him best," Axel replies with some hesitance, shrugging nonchalantly.

Ventus cheerfully inputs, "Too bad you don't have a twin. Then no one would notice you left!"

The comment is slightly off topic, but Sora braves a smile. "That would be convenient sometimes."

Axel grins a mischievous grin, "I don't think it works that way for _you_, huh, Roxy?"

Roxas scowls, "I'm just going to pretend that you didn't just attempt to corner me into either mocking or insulting myself and him."

The tear-drop face feigns innocence, "What? I didn't do anything."

"Like hell you didn't!"

"Aww, Roxy, don't get flustered, I'm just playing."

"Do you play with your food too?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" The redhead pouts. Surprisingly, Roxas gives in, shoving him lightly on the shoulder. "Nothing, you doofus." Axel beams and shows off his white teeth.

Sora tries to be happy for them, but the feeling just doesn't surface.

* * *

As expected, Coach again instructs the non-social, inclusive group to engage in some sport. This time, he sends them to the pool. The boulder of a man glances at Sora and adds, "It's not deep." Axel rolls his eyes as discreetly as he can, but the beady eyes still squint at him suspiciously.

Sora uses his mounting fear of the water as courage to drag himself to Riku. He isn't sure what will come of the trip, but anything is better than facing the dreaded H2O. After the group equips and dresses themselves in their swimming gear, Sora stays behind by the cabins. With a knowing nod, the redhead leads the others to the pool. The brunet does not idly wait for them to disappear. Turning, he reaches Axel and Riku's cabin, feeling somewhat guilty to disturb him only seconds after Axel slammed the door shut. Nonetheless, using Axel's key, he turns the knob haphazardly and steps in with no caution, recalling Riku's impenetrable sleeping habits. If he isn't asleep, he figures, well then at least the silveret has received fair warning.

But when he steps in, Sora is compelled to quiet any movements he may make. He notices immediately that the seemingly slumbering blob is turned away from him. The brunet releases a breath he was holding, or was he holding it? And why? A step forward.

Just for security, "Riku?"

No noise, not even the slightest shuffle. Sora's head tilts to the side, a sad expression on his face. If only he could slide into those covers. If only that would provide some sense of comfort.

Instead he hovers over the teen, watching the way the upper portion rises and falls. The window fully illuminates Riku's back from the bright sun but shadows his face, causing Sora to let himself collapse cross-legged to the floor in disappointment. Something compels him to stay.

If Sora closed his eyes, he'd drift back to the times he would lounge about the graveyards in town back at home. He'd ignore the names on the tombstones and the dates. He'd ignore the people around him too. He was so young and still bold, he'd block everything else out and pretend that whoever's grave he picked was his parent's. Thinking back, the whole affair was sad and saccharine in a way most wouldn't understand. But he'd talk to mommy and daddy, maybe even big sis. He'd cry those big crocodile tears and say over and over "I miss you, I miss you, oh mommy I miss you".

He got older and he'd always ask her, "Why'd you send me away, Mommy? I just want to be with you and Daddy and sissy."

Then, he finally reached a point where he'd coherently speak to them. "I miss you guys. I'm sorry I couldn't find help. I'm not sure who I'm mad at anymore; you for sending me away, or myself for not finding you, or fate for stealing you away. I love my new family, I mean, please don't think I'm ungrateful but you guys…. Well even if my memory has sweetened over time, our memories will always be my dead dream." And the grass would indent his ankles as he sat so completely still in front of the dead. The tears that fell would fill his palms.

But to watch Riku, he didn't close his eyes so he didn't feel the grass and the tears didn't come. Instead he stared at the silveret's form, remembering in his mind's eye all his best looks and expressions.

"I just don't get it," Sora began, "It's only been two days and already you're completely different. You said we wouldn't change. But I mean it all feels wrong now. Did you change your mind, Riku? Did I do something? Axel and Roxas have their own world like we have. But they're able stay in their own orbit even when we fall into it. Why can't we do that? There were a few minutes I thought our "bubble" would come back, but you… I don't mean to sound so accusing… but you've shut down, Riku. Let me in, Riku, please, you know me more…"

And he stops right at the height of the crescendo. Even though the silveret could only turn his words into loony dreams, he couldn't bring himself to admit out loud that already the silveret knew more about Sora than anyone else, ever.

He remains in thought for a moment, and continues, "I don't get it. I always care about my friends. I love everyone because that's apart of who I am, but you're different. I don't know how or why… It's like Roxas; you should watch him sometime. Axel messes with him all the time, yet he always gives into it and doesn't get angry like he usually would. I feel that way with you, that if anyone else messed with me the way you have, I'd kick their ass but since it's you a laugh escapes from of my mouth and I just don't get it."

Sora blushes; he's said that 'he doesn't get it' several times now and it embarrasses him.

"I hate to say it, but I really hope you are sick and not just angry or upset. If you are, I want to help. I don't know how, I've never seen this side of you before, but I really want to help. If you are sick… well, please get better soon. I know you can't hear me or anything but I dunno maybe you'll wake up and remember this last part…. The others and I will be at the pool. Obviously I'm not going in but if you feel better come and join us." Sora stands slowly, watching for any extra movement, but there is none. Disappointment and relief hold hands in this insecure field.

"I'll see you later," he backs away, smiling despite himself. He closes the cabin door behind him with a soft click, apprehension creeping into his mind; though he knows the silveret won't wake, some part of him wants to somehow restore the silence to ease the continuing process. He leans against the door for a minute, allowing relief to overwhelm his small, firm body. Actions may speak louder than words, but sometimes there are things that only can be released and explained through them. Smiling wider, he walks away.

From within the room, the slumbering silverette turns over to face the window, and the irresolute turquoise orbs stare at the trees blocking all other view from it as if they had some sort of answer to all the questions he still has.

* * *

**A/N: I am so, so so soooo incredibly sorry that this has taken so long. Honestly, I was totally stuck in the story, but I have this chapter and I think the next all planned out (it was supposed to be one chapter but this is plenty long). Tell me what you think? **

**Thank all of you for sticking with the story, it means the world to me and I am determined to finish it. If you guys have any tips or suggestions, feel free to input!**

**Until next time (hopefully sooner rather then later),**

**Hannahble**


	11. Chapter 11: Simplicity

**Chapter 11: Simplicity**

True to his word, Sora ends up at the pool with the others. Clad in his swimming trunks and goggles, he sits at the awkward slanted edge of the pool, next to the shallow end. This is the closest to the cool water he is willing to go; cross-legged and inches away from the edge itself. Though Axel, Roxas, T.K., Ventus, and even Chris (Sora's other cabin-mate who usually loiters over by the girls' groups) splish and splash and hoot and holler, they all seem to understand that under no circumstances should they even attempt to splash the wary brunet.

Xion didn't even change out of his clothing. A few minutes after Sora picked his spot, the mysterious dark-haired male meandered over and plopped himself down next to the brunet in his normal khaki shorts and black hoodie. His puffy black Vans accidentally tap Sora's bare feet, still cold from being against the cafeteria floor.

After a few taciturn, complacent moments between them, Sora asks, "Aren't you hot in the hoodie? It's like, one-hundred-and-five degrees out here."

The black haired teen shakes his head, staring down at his twiddling thumbs. The poor boy's boredom must have reached an all-time high, but Sora doesn't notice. Still feeling the enchantment from his conversation with the slumbering silveret, the brunet continues, "You know, I wish I knew what your voice sounded like. Every time I try to imagine the sound, it doesn't seem right."

The brunet doesn't expect a reply, of course, so his eyes naturally stray to the commotion in the pool. He hears the shuffle of cotton cloth, suggesting perhaps that Xion shrugged his shoulders, but already Sora is far, far away. Maybe the chlorine water is influencing Sora's eyes, but they reflect green as he watches Axel and Roxas playing again. The grass always seems greener on the other side, but no one could possibly deny the rare carefree nature the two seemed to share.

That's when he hears a soft chuckle next to his ear. Startled, he turns his head to the source. His eyes widen as he watches Xion's mid-laugh, open mouth.

"Oh Sora… We all have our secrets."

The voice was entirely feminine, sweet and soft with a motherly, gossamer quality to it. The sound stuns the brunet beyond words, but as his brain registers and files the experience away, the pieces of Xion and _her_ voice match up much better than the voice he had attempted to construct in place of silence.

"L-like?" Sora asks out of instinct, bewildered. The stupidity of the question brings an embarrassment-induced twinge onto his cheeks, but his gaze continues steadily on the girl.

Finally, she lets down the hoodie and returns his gaze with a bright, indigo stare. Every perception he had constructed for her has been shattered by the bold, indignant gaze. Xion isn't weak or traumatized as everyone had thought. Hell, Xion isn't even a 'he'. All this time her personality had been shapeless and foggy with assumptions and reluctance to pursue anything concerning her. Sora knows the instant he meets her gaze that none of them knew anything about her because they hadn't asked. From the beginning, all Sora has been concerned with is himself, though the others seem no different in their motives. What a sad world in which no one chases anyone else. All for one… and none for all.

* * *

Ouch, that hit him right in the feels. Playing sick was supposed to be Riku's ticket to freedom of thought and formulation. But he realized that if he were really considering Sora, he'd know that the considerate and insecure male would wind up checking up on the brooding silveret eventually. But unfortunately for him, the visit opened up several new avenues of questions, leaving few answers behind.

It is really hot in the cabin. The irony of playing sick is that if anyone catches you awake, you have to act cold- fever, you know?- but the temperature has made a goal to become tangible. Every time Riku switches position, he feels as though his clothes, sticking to him slightly now, protest. The air itself seems trapped by the temperature, choking Riku as a scapegoat.

But maybe his lungs struggle because of the tight knot of his chest, instead of the formidable heat.

Riku doesn't know what to think anymore. On one side of his dilapidated heart, guilt eats at him every step he takes away from Sora; it feels so wrong, it might as well be number eleven on the Ten Commandments. On the other side, he aches. In the center, he knows that he'll never meet someone so… good ever again, and just that alone kills him. Riku is good, but bad at it. Sora is good and very, very good at it.

But good people break first. His mom was good once, and then one little YOLO moment sent her from Hannah Montanna to Britney Spears. All his father wanted was a quiet, little life, but in order to obtain it he had to reject his own flesh and blood. He did it, and from that moment on he was never the same. To top it off, none of his Houstonian friends seem to know the difference between a conscience and con-science. Though Riku never knew them when they were 'good', he sure as hell knows they aren't now. After a while, he got so sick of it, enough that it made him physically ill.

That's when he met Mikey. Mikey was one of those people who _couldn't_ be bad. We aren't talking about some Michael Jackson routine; the kid would tear up at the sight of road kill. He was a genius too; give him any mathematical or scientific problem and he'd solve it before anyone else had the time to read the question through. However, if someone got hurt, if someone started to cry, if someone mentioned a tragedy somewhere else in the world, the emotion would quickly overwhelm him. It couldn't be helped; it was a part of who he was. But he was in the wrong place to be so emotionally empathetic. Riku saw people waste away, degenerate, every day and after a while the silveret barely noticed- but Mikey did. He kept a brave face, but it bothered him. And bothered him.

Riku still doesn't really understand. There was no warning. Riku had dropped him off, pushing him brotherly out of the front seat passenger side of his car, saying, "Go on, Mikey, do your homework… build me a fuckin' rocket too… douchebag genius."

The curly-haired kid stumbled out and recovered. Mikey's rich laugh drifted all the way back to the silveret in the front driver's seat. "Hey!" he called back teasingly, "Hate me now, you'll work for me later."

"Touché…" He laughs again, and Riku allows himself a chuckle. Deep down, Riku was proud to have a friend like him; smart, and so pure of heart. He'd be honored to work for him someday. That was the sick part.

"Well, see ya, Riku," Mikey bid adieu, waving as he disappeared behind his front door.

"See ya, dude."

And the next morning, Mikey's mom called him sobbing. He couldn't even understand the distraught woman's words but it didn't take him more than ten minutes to barge into his home and search for Mikey. He didn't find him. He found the body though.

It was a simple and obvious suicide. There was a cliché little note; so little Riku can't ever get it out of his head, no matter how much he drinks. He searches the individual letters for some profound explanation but never finds one. All it said was: "Please don't degenerate". His mom only had a vague inclination to what it meant, so she assumed the note was at least partially written for her. But the silveret knows it was written for him; it was Riku's joke to call the broken and the drugees and the dropouts 'degenerates', because that's what they were. Nonetheless, in retrospect the callousness Riku would frequently display stings him, even now. He always wondered if it played a part in Mikey's final thoughts. Riku fruitlessly blames himself.

Riku thought for a long time that he had already broken Mikey's final request to him, but he made it a goal to re-generate, to gain back some inkling of awareness and control of himself. That's when the trouble started, when Riku just couldn't seem to get out of his messed up habits and lifestyle.

Riku sighs, genuinely feeling nauseous as the chaos of his life overwhelms him. Why couldn't things be simple, just once? Why can't he be good, and good at it too? And why does it have to be so hard to make things right? He's just one man- not even that yet, if he's honest with himself. Though his pride screams at the thought, Riku realizes that maybe, just maybe, he can't get through all this alone.

* * *

"WOAH!" Axel cries out, dramatically freezing in mid-chase of Roxas. "Xion, I don't- fucking- shit- WOAH!" Only a moment later, he dives under the water towards Sora and Xion. Roxas, suddenly aware that the monster has been distracted, glances over. Even Roxas does a double-take, and Ventus jumps up and down.

"Oh Xion you're so pretty!"

Roxas sputters, glaring at Ventus as if he brought out the baby pictures. "Ven-tus, Xion isn't a-"

Axel pops up from the water, splashing Sora and Xion in his excitement. Sora violently twitches, and Axel quickly apologizes, but then immediately turns his attention back to the female. "YOU'RE A FUCKING GIRL!?"

Roxas' jaw drops, face flushing. T.K. dances over to the scene of the crime, spurring gleefully, "Haw-tuh babes!" Somehow, this only causes Roxas to blush more.

"Will you keep your voices down?" Xion exclaims desperately, forgetting her pact of silence.

"IT SPOKE! ROXY IT SPOKE!"

The flustered blonde replies, "Well fucking shit," as he shuffles through the water as though coming from the shame corner. Sora observes somewhat amused as Chris looks left and right awkwardly, wondering if he should join the group or back out. Sora beckons him over. The light-brunet sheepishly swims over, seemingly reassured by Sora's accepting call.

Xion, unaccustomed to being the center of attention, blushes bright red as all the testosterone-filled males surround her. She mumbles, "I need a rape whistle…"

Ventus, still entranced by her presence, squinches his forehead and asks, "Rox, what's a rape whistle?"

Shaking his head, Roxas says gruffly, "Nothing, … uh. So you're really a girl?"

Looking slightly incredulous, the black-haired girl nods, but slowly as if she weren't sure of the fact herself. Axel, almost vibrating from excitement (not THAT kind of excitement, sheesh), says, "I've always wanted a girl for a friend. How-de-do, miss?"

"What happened to Namine?" Sora cuts in.

"Manners are disgusting on you," Roxas says with a glare.

"She doesn't count, she was fragile," Axel retorts. "Namine was a true bro though, too," he concedes as an afterthought.

"What, I'm not bro?" Xion says, trying to regain some normality.

"You look so cuddley, I just wanna give you ice cream…" Axel admits, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Roxas blushes bright red again, though his eyes seem aflame.

Disturbed, Xion begins to lift her hood back. Ventus says, "Oh no, Xion, come back!" His pout face seems too much for even the previously-mute girl and she gives in. "That's a warning, Axel." Her voice suggests a mixture of joke and serious. The redhead shrugs in reply.

"Don't worry, if I were hitting on you I would've asked if you came here often. I'm just recoiling in shock."

"O….kaaay…." she relents, somewhat unsure of how to read Axel. She glances at Sora for a moment, sheepish and he realizes that she really didn't mean to reveal herself to everyone. The brunet mouths 'sorry' but she shrugs in surrender.

"Man, Riku is missing a lot," Sora says, thinking aloud.

Nodding, Roxas replies, "Yeah… I think Imma go check on him." He seems to consider it for a moment, then decides, "I'm getting pruny anyway."

"Oh but Roxy you're so cute when you're pruny! Lemme help you fix it!"

"WHY are you SO creepy!?" Roxas exclaims, swimming away from him rapidly to escape the pool. Sora sighs and Xion giggles.

"Why can't it be that simple?" the brunet thinks aloud.

"It can be," she reassures. They stand together.

"Let's head to the cafeteria," she concedes, patting Sora on the back, "The trauma has made me hungry."

Giggling, Sora says with a smile, "Well, alright."

* * *

When Axel walks in, Riku is playing on his DS. The silveret is so bored of the game he openly looks over to see who arrived.

"You don't look sick to me," Axel says bluntly.

Ignoring the statement, the silveret replies, "Where's Roxas?"

A slightly protective glare reaches the silveret but the redhead manages to say calmly, "He's in the showers. He apparently can't stand the chlorine on his body."

"Wait, you guys went swimming?"

"Yeah," Axel says, smirking in memory, "You missed out."

Riku, sitting up abruptly, interrogates, "On what? What happened?"

A million scenarios go through his mind. Did Sora swim? Did he get hurt again? Or was he successful? What if he missed it?

"I'll let her tell you," Axel laughs, distantly, "Sora might catch you up too though. I was just a witness."

"Damnit, Axel, why can't you just spill?"

"It's funnier this way."

Riku holds back an annoyed growl. Although the silveret can usually appreciate the redhead's style, he wasn't feeling it today. Secrecy isn't his thing.

A moment of silence passes before Axel continues casually, "What's going on between you and Sora anyway?"

Riku glares, unaccustomed to anyone intruding into his business. "What do you mean?"

Axel picks at the wood on his bunk-bed, pretending to be concentrated on it. "Well, the second camp started up and you guys were clearly all buddy-buddy, but now you're not. Sora's complicated but you are more so. So it must be your fault. Hence I'm asking you."

Riku is almost too bewildered to be offended, but some of the irritation seeps in. "Nothing I can say will answer your question…"

"Yes it will, you just gotta talk. Don't tell me you can't because I saw a freakin' mute talk today…" He chuckles, turning from the bed frame to his clothes in a haphazard pile on Roxas's bed.

The silveret is disgruntled, to say the least. Axel, like many of the others here, is much more observant than he looks. Riku knows that they are at least friends; maybe not close but they are farther along than acquaintances. His conscientious code whispers that he deserves at least some honesty, but the prospect of 'spilling' unnerves him. Talking to Sora had been so natural once they established their friendship, but because of that now he needs a Swiffer broom to whisk away the cobwebs blocking his social skills.

Riku sighs, reluctant, "I don't want to make it awkward."

"Ah… we're getting somewhere. Riku, I come from some fucked up places, nothing scares me."

Riku rolls his eyes, but relents. "Alright, well you fucking asked for it."

"That I did," he admits. He shuffles through his clothes some more, seemingly searching for something specific. After a moment he finds it, and the silveret leans slightly to attempt peeking at whatever Axel was looking for.

"What are you-" Riku asks frustrated, only to be silenced as a very familiar bottle of alcohol is shoved into his hands. He looks down at it in shock. "Shit," he mutters, "Axel, how the hell did you get this?"

"Found it," he says vaguely. "Anyway, drink some. It'll dilute some of the drama king out of the story." The redhead smirks devilishly.

"You are such an asshole," Riku says, untwisting the top.

"Aww, you're starting to sound like Roxy."

Riku makes a disgusted face and glares at Axel again, who continues to smirk as if he established some sort of alpha-male status. The silveret tells himself- and convinces himself- that he's taking the alcohol because one, he bought it, and two, desperate times call for desperate measures. Everything logical he has tried to sort his shit out has epically failed so far, so why not do something stupid and out of character to attempt to change something?

* * *

They drank as much as they could before Roxas came back. T.K. was, according to Axel, wrapped up in a pool match (Ventus keeping score) with some other guys in the table cabin (a.k.a, game room) so the sour blonde was the only one they had to worry about. By the time he knocked on the cabin door, ("Who the fuck locked it?" "Roooooxxxxyyyyy, I'm shorry, I'llettyoo in") the bottle was almost empty and Riku was able to haphazardly hide it before Roxas entered the room.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Roxas questions, glancing suspiciously between them. Axel, already slightly tipsy (maybe just pretending to be, Riku isn't sure), says stupidly, "Nuthin."

Roxas, taking his stupidity as normality, rolls his eyes and says, "Well… I'm pretty tired. If you guys are going to stay up, would you go somewhere else?" The fatigued irritation is evident even through the eyes of a drunk, so Riku steps into the conversation, "Yeah, we can go for a bit." He glances to Axel, trying to convey the message but he isn't sure what went through the redhead's mind. He continues to look stupidly at Roxas, who is blushing under his gaze.

The redhead stands, "Well… I guess I'll let you alone for now. Ny-night, Roxy."

Climbing into bed, Roxas mumbles, "Night, Axel."

He beams at Riku, face screaming, 'didya see that? He said goodnight to me! And said my name!'

Riku sighs and drags him out of the room, suddenly sure that whatever Riku would say about Sora would not be awkward to Axel at all.

* * *

Sora sits against the back wall outside the cafeteria, talking to Xion. He feels terrible for never attempting to get to know her now that he understands she was waiting for it all along. Although he rectifies the guilt from neglect by his actions now, he admits to himself that this is a great distract-er from Riku and that whole mess, which may be a reason for his heightened interest.

"Sorry about the onslaught earlier," Sora apologizes, opening the conversation. He watches as she attempts to climb a tree a short distance away. She hangs from a branch for a minute, and then squinches her face as the bark rips up her hands and drops.

"It's fine," she huffs, looking contemplatively at the tree, "It's my fault anyway."

"Well… why did you pretend to be a guy anyway?" Sora asks, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Oh. I think that was just an accident. The girl at the desk, the bitchy blonde one, took one look at me and thought I was a guy. She accepted my parent's paperwork, snappily handed me a key to the cabin and that was it. It took me awhile to figure out what cabin she meant…. But there you go."

This doesn't surprise Sora but it opens the doors to a lot more questions. She still isn't quite adding up.

"Why didn't you ask for a girl's dorm though? Isn't it awkward?"

"Nope. I have like…" she counts for a second, eyes toward the setting sky, "five brothers? I actually preferred it. Girls annoy me, so I decided to keep it a secret."

Sora would normally defend the feminine race, but his puzzlement on Xion shuffles the thoughts away. "I thought it was a lot more complicated than that…" Sora admits, picking at a pimple on his arm. She contemplates him for a moment, then returns to her tree, flipping herself into it.

"Not everything has to be complicated, you know."

Affronted, Sora says, "What do you mean?"

"You walk around like the world is on your shoulders. You think about yourself too much."

The brunet blushes, somewhat miffed and somewhat ashamed of himself. "Well what about you? I mean, one minute you're all doom and gloom in your hood, the next you're climbing a tree."

Sora tries not to say it aggressively, but the bite in his words still leak through. Xion doesn't seem to mind though.

"I'm not very good with secrets is all. I kept my hood up so you guys wouldn't see my feminine face and I didn't talk for the same reason. Simple."

The way she says 'simple' bothers Sora quite a lot. "Not everyone can be so "simple" like you, Xion."

"Why not, Sora?"

She drops from the tree again. Sora glares at her, finally fully annoyed with her carefree meanderings.

"Have you _ever _had something bad to you?" His gaze burns, gushing his emotions onto her as if his eyes alone could unleash a tidal wave against her.

Still, she seems unaffected. "Hasn't everyone?"

"You know that's not what I mean." Sora, uncomfortable sitting, stands and leans against the wall.

Xion and her calm, purple eyes meander beside him. "What _do _you mean, Sora?"

"I don't fucking know!" Sora swears, "Will you stop turning my questions like a merry-go-round?"

"I'm just saying that you seem to expect a long, complicated story about myself. But I don't have one. I have five brothers, a step mom and my dad. My mom died when I was young, but I don't remember it so I let her go. God brought me a step-mom to take care of me and a dad to give me security and brothers to raise me. Why make it complicated?"

"But don't you wonder about your mom? Don't you wish you could remember her?"

"Of course," she says simply, "But I know if I was her, she'd want me to be happy for the things I can have now. I'll see her again. I need to live my life first though."

All Sora could think was_ "she just doesn't get it. She has no idea. It's not that easy for me."_ It was a mantra, running over and over again in his mind. She was a simple person with a simple mind and simple heart. He wasn't. Too much had happened. Maybe he had been simple for a while, in middle school when he had no friends and he didn't talk. But he can't go back to that just as much as he can't go back to when he was with Riku and everything was as simple as it could get.

Sora grits his teeth. He could say that he preferred her when she was silent. He wanted to tell her to sit still and fucking listen. He wanted to somehow force her to understand. But he didn't truly wish such treatment on anyone. He wouldn't let himself say such bitter, biting words to her; but he knows that he needs to leave. He is too angry. It is foolish anger, directed at the intangible idea of simplicity. He didn't want to take it out on her.

"Xion… I need to go," Sora says with difficulty.

"Okay," she says with slight concern. Her mouth tenses as if she wants to say something more, but after a split second she relents. "See yah, Sora."

"Yeah…" Sora says, tense and dejected, "See ya."

* * *

"Gah, maaahn, you are so complicated," Axel slurs, waving his hands at the air.

"It's not like I can help it," Riku replies sadly, "I'm the only one who thinks at home…"

"You are a depressing drunk."

"Axel, shuddap. No one cares about you."

"My feeeeeeeels~~~"

"I'm serious, Axel, I don't fuckin' know whatta do."

"Well the first step…" he says slowly, "is to admit that you really, really care about Sora."

"I don't like that step. What's the next one?"

"Then you need to get over yourself-"

"Hey!"

"And then kiss him on his big pink lips."

"I'm not using your seduction plans, Axel."

"But they work so well," he says, shocked.

Riku sighs. "This was so stupid, you are absolutely useless. I can't believe I let you drink my liquor."

"Duuuuude that was yours? How'd you get it?!"

"That's irrelevant," Riku says, smirking at the fact he finally has an upper hand in the conversation.

"If you tell me, I'll give you genuine advice," Axel goads, wiggling his absurdly red eyebrows.

"Axel," Riku says sighing, "How the bloody hell did you get your _eyebrows _red?"

"Well, Mr. British-Accent, it's all nat-ur-ale. But back to business. I promise. I'll somber up and give you advice. But I needa know where you got teh alcohol."

The silveret glares at the pouting lump of useless. He considers it despite himself. _I really must have drank too much, _he thinks to himself, weighing his options. Even if he tells Axel, it's not as if the redhead will find a way to get there, unless he knows how to hijack a car. Part of him wonders, but… Well. Meh. Fuck it.

"It's about two miles down the street we're on. The road turns into a little town and ta-da."

Instantaneously, the redhead sits upright, winks and says, "Thank you for your cooperation. Now what was I saying?"

That two-faced little bastard.

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! This was kind of a quick update, I'm proud of myself! :D I feel bad for Sora and Riku though. One will start to feel better, and then the other one will feel worse... then they'll get better, and then the other one will find a new problem. Lol I promise theres a purpose to it XD  
**

**Oh, oh, oh! Like the axel/roxas in the background? Axel is the most fun to write for, he cracks me up. Anyway, I need to stop talking. Merp. **

**Because winter finals are coming up in a few weeks, I probably wont be able to update until around Christmas time. I'm going to work on it whenever I can, but in all probability, that's the most likely unless I make shorter chapters. I also need to update my oneshot series. ._. **

**Thank you guys for all the support, it has been so much fun writing this story and Imma continue to do so! Happy fanfic-ing, and happy/merry (insert holiday)!**

**Love, Hannahble~**


	12. Chapter 12: Little Talks

**Chapter 12: Little Talks**

Sora finds it ironic that in order to have an immature tantrum, he must first responsibly excuse himself and walk away quietly until out of range; then, and only then, does he allows himself to knock things around, smashing things and grunting like a toddler.

He stomps around in the forested area surrounding the posterior of the camp. The thick layer of natural debris allows a satisfying crunching sound with every step, adding to the shuffle and snag of his clothes through the branches and assorted bushes. The sun has started to set, exasperating the shadows of the forest to touch him but there is no sound aside from his own.

The brunet is certain he is leaving an obviously cleared path. He wouldn't be too terribly surprised if Coach eventually followed and stopped him, but on another thought, it is questionable that someone of his size would fit through Sora's narrow trail anyhow. All that matters is his ability to return through his destructive path, really. Part of him wishes someone would find the trail (guided perhaps by Xion) and come to talk to him. In some pathetic corner of his heart, all the anger has already vanished, leaving only a sense of "poor-me" that desperately wants someone else to agree with it. The rest of him, still raging, yells at the little part of his heart that weeps, telling it that no one will come because _that's just stupid _and _none of them would understand anyway._

_But what about Riku?_

Sora snarls toward the thought and a nearby tree branch. Neither of the victims even shiver, but the rest of Sora does. Riku's the one who got him into this whole self-exploration mess, isn't it? He was in a perfectly comfortable life-pattern until that silver-haired, invasive, extra-ordinarily seductive teenager came flouncing in, causing the poor brunet to question everything that resides within himself. The ambivalence toward the silveret is so polarized that the brunet is completely unsure what he wants from him. He'd like to punch him in the face. He'd like to yell at him. He'd like to blame him for all his current problems. But he'd also like to return to the sunny mornings that Riku's arm was so delicately placed around him. He'd like to return to the night that they gave their secrets away under the influence. He wants to return to the time that Riku was all to himself, or at very least the miscellaneous things they did was 'their thing' and not a free for all. So, does Sora want Riku to follow his tantrum-trail and comfort him? Yes. Will it solve anything? Probably not.

He wanders around the forest for some time, venting his anger to the hiding critters and crawlers around, yelling at himself and the idea of simplicity. Screaming at his past and his resulting phobias. Perhaps if he wasn't so screwed up, none of this would have been an issue. He argues with himself over why Xion has to be wrong; it can't be simple for him, right? There are too many factors that affect him for anything to be simple, but would that be deemed the deceit of baggage? Sora had thought that his past could not be forgotten, that the trauma had created him. By this notion he merely tucked the experience away, quietly accepting his role as the damaged. Sora comforted himself by the fact that the most hurt are often the least deserving. It gave him purpose to be the beacon of light for others, but he wonders now if he can keep holding the lantern yet also leave the darkness behind. Is that what Xion has done?

That's when he hears the laughter.

All the movement in Sora's lithe body stops, every ounce of his martial art training kicking in like a feral animal's instinct. He waits, and hears the noise again; a whispered trail of a roaring laugh, familiar in sound and feeling. If Sora were a dog, his ears would be raised at full attention. He hears the soft murmur of conversation in the distance; he could probably find the source. All trace of the erratic anger is gone, replaced by curiosity and residue frustration. After all, he can't throw a fit under the possibility of being watched or found by an anonymous person or persons.

He waits until he hears another voice and walks towards it, so intent on his goal he barely breathes. There is a certain serenity in his stealth, no longer stifled by drastic hunger like his last attempt sneaking through the cafeteria. It's been awhile he's been able to use this skill and it brings him confidence. He approaches cautiously. Turns out the people were only twenty yards away. Turns out the people aren't very anonymous either.

Axel and Riku reside across from each other, Riku leaning on a tree and Axel practically lying across a tree stump. Of course, Riku looks rather comfortable but Sora can't imagine any way that Axel could be as well. Normally it'd be an amusing scene, but quickly the brunet's focus is changed. A melting pot of emotions boil and bubble in Sora; jealousy, rage, confusion, and disappointment tug at his insides trying to gain some upper-hand. Why is Riku hanging out with Axel? …Not that he doesn't have the right to other friends… but the silveret was supposedly sick today. Wasn't Axel the one who claimed him to be sick? Why would either of them lie? One thing is for certain though; the little pathetic part of his heart that desired the silveret's presence died off immediately. Riku can't follow _his_ trail when he's following _Axel's_.

* * *

Riku can barely contain his laughter. Surprisingly, Axel has proved himself to be an idiot. Ten yards into the forest ("To drink in the upmost piracy- I mean, privacy" he said), the flamboyant redhead had tripped several times, been whipped by revengeful branches several more times, and cursed about the previous amounts added together. This time he tripped so hard that a tree stump broke his fall. Axel, being bitchy as always, whined but did not move.

"I'll never stand again!"

"Axel…" Riku laughs, leaning against a tree for support.

"Oh, sure, laugh; this is exactly how I wanted to go… dead from a stump."

"You're… a dumbass," Riku manages between snickers. Something tells him this would be just as funny even if he were sober.

Axel lifts a dramatic arm and lays it over his eyes, "Tell Roxy… I said that I loved him, but I couldn't fight the pain of death away…"

The silverette rolls his eyes, "Okay, see that line?"

"No-"

"Well you crossed it," Riku retorts. "Smartass," he adds in a low mutter. Finally, Axel sits up in a defeated fashion, swaying slightly from the alcohol doused in his veins.

"Why the hell did we come out here again?"

Riku, having regained composure, looks coolly up to the night sky. "Well," the silveret begins with sarcasm heavily laced in his tone, "I needed_ somewhere_ to sober you up."

The redhead isn't fazed. "No, no, no, I think I was supposed to give you advice."

"Axel, you're so drunk you might as well be rubbish."

"Ha! More British-talk!" Riku rolls his eyes again, ignoring the fact that Axel had noticed his accent. It must show through when the silveret is inebriated as well when he is frightened. "Hey, if you keep doing that, your eyes will get stuck in the back of your head."

"I think you're mixing up the funny-faces myth," Riku corrects.

"If I am, then poor Roxy doesn't stand a chance," Axel snickers back.

"What the hell are you on about now?"

"He makes more funny faces than a clown, so… if the face-myth-y thing is true, his face is going to get stuck in the weirdest way _ever_."

Riku is beginning to feel more exasperated by the minute; how useless can a person be? He wants to roll his eyes again, but resists. He didn't come out in the middle of a forest to hear about Axel's obvious and disgusting love for Roxas who can barely stand the tall, insane redhead. So instead of indulging in his antics, he crosses his arms and replies in an annoyed tone, "Oooookay then."

"Aw, come on, sourpuss. Don't be a downer."

"That's my job, Axel. You'll be the clown, and I'll be the cool guy," Riku replies, glancing up at the stars again.

"Pfft, you are very confused, my friend. Girls love the cool guy, and we already know that is _not _what you're after." This earns him a glare. "You need to get your head out of the clouds and go after what you actually want."

"I'm not exactly used to chasing things. It's usually the other way around." The silveret's honesty is mostly to humor Axel, but even through Riku's struggling stubbornness, he can admit that it's nice to vocalize the mantras that have plagued his mind.

"I know that, -Guy. That's why you are and him are distancing. _He _is **not **supposed to chase you."

Humph. Tell him something he doesn't know. "Yeah, well, last time I 'chased' somebody, it didn't end well."

"And who was this person?"

Riku hesitates, but decides that this is the road he chose hours ago and that there's no point in going back on it now. "…Mikey."

"I didn't ask for a name, I asked who he was," Axel chides, "Get your head in the game."

Riku rolls his eyes again, but continues, "He was my best friend awhile back. He… uh… I didn't like him _that _way, but I met him right after escaping from a bad crowd." Axel offers an encouraging face, so he continues. "He was the most pure-hearted person I had ever met so I made it my purpose to get to know him. I wanted to understand how he preserved his whole-ness, I guess. But in the end, instead of him showing me the light- so to speak- I showed him the dark. And it broke his heart." His confession brings a slight flush to his cheeks, partially from his round-about, almost incoherent description and partially from the confession itself.

"And did you mend it?" Axel's eyes rest so intently on the silveret, completely unphased by his poetically vague descriptions, that Riku could have sworn his attention was on something just past him, or perhaps his understanding. It causes the silveret to blush more.

"I didn't realize it was broken in the first place," Riku admitted, "I was very bitter and self-absorbed."

"So what happened?"

"He…" And all at once the color drains from his face. Riku really doesn't want to say _it_. He hadn't said _it_ to anyone; having no mutual friends between him and Mikey, there was no one to inform. It was a small funeral. The silveret can feel his turquoise eyes watering in betrayal, but he manages to puke the words from his choked vocal chords. "He… commit suicide."

* * *

Even Axel's eyes widened at that; Sora, watching behind some trees and brush, gasped. Sora had been absorbed into the conversation ever since Axel questions their purpose to being in the forest, an inquiry the brunet had wanted an answer to. Unfortunately, the answer to that particular question served as a blade to Sora's heart. But out of morbid curiosity, he had continued eavesdropping.

The brunet decided that he had heard enough, however, and turned from the scene as soon as he heard the sad ending to Riku's tale. Quietly, he shuffled away until he couldn't hear Axel or Riku's conversational murmurs, feeling the weight of Riku's words heavily on his shoulders. A single additional word would undoubtedly cause him to fall, for the puzzle had pieced itself together for him through Riku's words. In retrospect, his little tantrum had obviously been twisted to fate's design for the sole purpose of leading him to this conversation, yet another cruel Miracle to added to the rapidly increasing list. Only a fool would misread the signs.

All other distressing topics aside, Sora left with one important notion on his mind: he realized that Riku hadn't cut their connection intentionally. Perhaps he didn't even desire the friendship to decline, but his capacity for such a dynamic friendship had already been worn out. Sora must have come into his life at the wrong time. After all, the silveret's heart obviously has yet to let go of Mikey, the boy who saved him and (in his mind) died because of him. Despite terrible feeling invoked by Sora admitting the hardly bearable truth, the brunet understands the feeling well and can accept the proof.

On top of that, Sora must remind Riku of his passed friend in some way; he isn't sure where this conclusion came from, but it is one he believes. Sora is sensitive, temperamental, immature, and at the very least, unstable. From Riku's description, the brunet can easily imagine Mikey being any number of these things, catalysts to the fateful night he decided to take his life. Thus, it is logical that Riku would be afraid of attaching himself to Sora; who would want to endanger themselves of being hurt like that again?

The brunet finds himself asking the same question, only the other way around. If Sora continues obsessing over the silveret, continues chasing after that relationship they had, what will come out of it? More likely than not, the answer is nothing. Even though Sora knows he'd never dare kill himself, he cannot convince Riku of otherwise or force a relationship, just as a horse can be led to water but cannot be forced to drink. He knew the moment that the honeymoon ended they had passed their peak and would deteriorate. Their parabola had reached a low again, and although you can stretch, raise, and lower a graph, you can't fight a function's natural path.

Sora, in all his life, has learned one lesson and learned it well: if you love it, let it go. He learned to accept that his family would not come back; even though the effects of their passing still affect him every day, it is no longer about the people but rather the event because he has let _them _go. He's let many of his friends go, knowing their paths were not aligned and that ultimately, they would not miss him. He has let time go as well, knowing that it will take him where it pleases without even an ounce of consultation. He's let them all go, so he must be able to let this go, too.

So he did.

* * *

"W-why?" Axel asked, shock clearly written on his face.

Riku sighed, and sniffed roughly. "He just couldn't continue living in a world full of suffering people. Mikey left me a note, basically instructing me to never go back to the bad crowd... And that was it."

"Wow," Axel said, voicing his sympathy, "That's some deep shit."

"Yeah…" A few moments passed, full of silence and forest sounds. Axel was quiet in sound and body, obviously in contemplation while Riku gathered himself together so that no tears would fall.

After a moment, Axel asks, "What exactly did the note say?" His voice had a note of purpose to it that surprises Riku and incites his curiosity enough to reply.

"All it said was: "Please don't degenerate"," Riku explains, "I used to call people 'degenerates', which somewhat explains itself."

Axel nods, eyebrows knit together in concentration. "I think," Axel starts, slowly, "He might've meant more than what you seem to see. Now, you can stop me at any time, I know I didn't know the guy," he pauses, but Riku's turquoise eyes simply burn into Axel, daring him to continue, "but…. The 'degenerates' are more than a bundle of bad choices. Misery is a catalyst to poor choices because it is one of the main things that make people desperate enough to act poorly in the first place. See, from what I've learned, people who suffer go one or two ways: they either shove the problem off to the side and indulge in whatever substance suits their fancy to make the pain and emptiness go away; or, they stand up to it and deal with the pain. Through this they become better, happier, and more capable people."

"O…kay…" Riku inputs, trying to follow him.

"So, you have done half of what he asked; you haven't gone back to whatever poor-morale lifestyle you led before. However, you aren't standing up to the problems left behind and allowing yourself to immerse in misery. It is a slow and obviously painful form of degeneration that causes you to make stupid choices that with a level head, you wouldn't dream of making in the first place. Like letting go of Sora."

"I don't exactly have control over my emotions," Riku says bitingly.

"But you're not fighting to be happy either," Axel retorts, and the silveret shuts his mouth, clenching his jaw. "Take Sora for instance. It's obvious that you are happiest around him. However, you are so afraid of being hurt again that you won't chase him. Hell, you won't even maintain the relationship you have with him now. If you don't take any chances, Riku, nothing will change and you'll be continuously miserable."

The silveret couldn't think of a logical or feasible argument to what the redhead had said.

With one last comment, Axel adds, "If it makes you feel better, Sora has the same problem."

This statement actually does help the silveret; after all, there is strength in numbers. They also share the same belief system. Being a man waiting for Miracles, Riku suddenly understands that to have a chance, one must take a chance- which might explain his and Sora's success during the two weeks they stayed together. It is true, however, that he let himself slip into a horrendous cycle long before all that; get close, detach, retreat to man cave, repeat. Although comfortable, the method is largely ineffective to propelling oneself further in life, proven by the disaster he has caused between him and the brunet without even a word spoken to him about it. He must conclude that it was his own stubbornness that kept him in this cycle, and his stubbornness that results in a very hard acceptance of Axel's words. That damned stubbornness has come back to bite him in the ass- again.

Riku sighs, "Well thanks, you bastard, you've totally kicked me out of the comfort zone and onto the edge of the world."

"Oh don't be so dramatic. But, hey, I prefer that to the cool-guy," Axel winks.

"Don't do that again."

"I do what I want," the redhead replies defiantly, "But anyway, now that I've said my piece, what are you going to do?"

Riku gazes up at the night sky again, hands in his pockets in heavy contemplation. "I could just use your seduction plan and kiss him on his big pink lips," he says simply, smirking and glancing back at his companion.

Axel, shocked out of his wits, stares for a good ten seconds- and then bursts into raucous laughter. Riku chuckles along, but the redhead is so tickled pink that the man sheds a tear.

"Haaa… oh man, I like this Riku, keep him around…" Riku rolls his eyes for the umpteenth time. The pyromaniac rises up from his tantrum, and lets out a heavy breath. "Whew… Well…. That joke burned out all the serious in me. I think I'm going to trip myself out of this forest and into bed."

Riku nods, realizing how long he must have kept the erratic man out of the comfort of the cabin (and away from Roxas, the horror). "Okay, but which bed?"

Axel winks, and Riku merely sighs. "Are you coming with me?" Axel asks, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Pfft," Riku glares, "Hell no." His eyes loose the edge, "I'm actually going to wander around some more."

"Alright, man, suit yourself," Axel gazes around the forest as if reassessing his choice. But he eventually looks back up to Riku and waves, "Night-y, night!" Riku waves back to him and watches as the redhead saunters off.

* * *

Sora is emotionally exhausted. All the mad infestations have been worn out. All the sad feels have been drained out of the sink that is his heart. All the happys and compassions have packed their bags and left. Once he found his way out of the forest, all his emotions tumbled out of him as if afraid of him. He shed a few tears, watering the grass with salt water, but after that he felt nothing. There were no thoughts in this process. Later, he'd call it a spiritual whiplash but for now all he can think about is making steady progress to the boy's cabin's stairs. He stumbles back to them, intending to sleep all of the chaotic mess away. He can be strong and happy-go-lucky tomorrow.

Unfortunately, he meets Axel at the stairs rising up to the cabin rooms. He supposes that under normal circumstances, he'd be happy to see the cheerful redhead. At the moment, however, he only hopes that the redhead won't notice his presence even without all the bitter connotations from the conversation he overheard this very night. He tip-toes around him, back turned toward him, but the creaks in the wooden establishment give him away. Sora freezes after the noise, but he can hear Axel reshuffling.

"Hey, Sora, where've you been?" Axel whispers loudly with enthusiasm.

Sora sighs, turning to face him with the best fake smile he could procure. "Mm, just…. About."

Axel sniffs the air. "You smell suspicious," he says, "but I'll let it pass this time."

"Haha, okay, Axel." The brunet turns, attempting to get closer to his cabin door.

But the insisting redhead places a firm hand on his shoulder. "Oh, and Sora?"

"Yeah?" the blue-eyed teen complies tiredly.

"Please don't degenerate."

Axel doesn't give the brunet a chance to reply and disappears into his cabin with a soft click of his door. Just as well. Sora stares at the spot of where he was, feeling the peculiar words wash over him. The simple request would have meant nothing had he not heard the redhead and Riku's conversation. But he knows what it meant(1). Axel knew that Riku had given up already. Surely when the brunet left, their conversation eventually strayed to him and their relationship. Honestly, the brunet doesn't care to inquire as to what was said. All Sora can assume is that Axel was attempting to give him fair warning of his replacement or removal in the Riku-social-hierarchy. And then, the words were also a challenge. The redhead wanted Sora to take it all with a smile.

Good thing for them, Sora's talent for facades is probably his best and most established accomplishment. He has used it for most of his life and even at this very camp. He can do it again. For this occasion, the process is a three-step instruction: let Riku go, act like absolutely nothing had happened (and in reality, nothing had so it won't be difficult), and then give the bird to fate by trying something new that no one would expect. Xion wants simple from him. Fate seems to like watching him frown. The folks at home have watched him grow without actually living but never said a word. He won't go as far to say that they didn't care, but he realizes they won't step in now to save him. In fact, Sora doesn't believe anyone will.

Axel had saved him with his rainbow-hair prank. His parents had saved him by sending him away. Riku had saved him by dragging him out of the lake. He has also learned other things from the dynamic, wonderful silveret, but he can sort that tangle out another time when he is less bitter about the experience. But- anyway- this time, Sora knows that if he goes swimming against the waves of his pain and fears, he better be damn sure he can take the current. The sick thing is, he _wants_ to stand up to it. Xion wanted simplicity from him. What is more simple than a one-man hero, fighting his demons alone? What is more simple than letting Riku go? No complications. Just him. And he'll do whatever it takes to get this done. Gotta go home in one piece.

Sora is too weary to feel afraid of the notion. His mind pushes it enough that his heart accepts it under the condition that the brunet would just _please, go to sleep_. His shaky hands finally open the door to his room and his wobbly feet take their steps in. The blue boy doesn't even bother changing. Two more steps and he collapses onto the tiny cot the camp calls 'beds', kicking off his shoes in haphazard haste. There, he falls into a dream and leaves the silveret behind for the first time since the first day of summer.

* * *

The silveret plops himself down onto the tree stump that Axel had so rudely stumbled unto. He deems it more believable that the stump pumped wisdom _through_ Axel instead of the redhead actually coming up with all those fantastic psychological things to say on the fly. Hence, he placed himself upon it in case nature is feeling generous.

Riku, from his dead-tree-throne, gazes up at the night sky. He had been conversing with the stars all night, bestowing wishes that everything could just be simple (or simplified!), or that he'd at least understand the situation. He's come the end of his own internal navigation for his life, so the turquoise eyes sought the stars. The silveret figured it was a step in the right direction because he had the faith for the first time since his childhood to even ask the stars instead of scorning them with the science of their origin. And now, his silly notion seems to have paid off. Somehow, Axel's words made all the stray puzzle pieces fall back onto the court. The task left is putting them into place.

First, Riku realizes that has changed a lot; more than even his Houstonian friends would dare give him credit for. Three years ago he gave up the parties and fight-clubs, a decision that altered his future forever. Only six months later did he meet Mikey, who showed him how to have a "normal life"- or at least the closest he could probably ever obtain. Then, a year and a half later, Mikey was stolen from him; and yes, one can steal themselves away. Perhaps Riku deserved it, for he's stolen himself from so many others he couldn't count them all on his two hands. The year-and-a-half after that is a blur of mounting hatred for himself and his life knowing that it all could have been better if he had just done this or that or the other. But maybe, he was also searching for someone he could cling to yet again, but too afraid of hurting them (and in turn, himself) to accept anyone. And thus was created the vicious cycle that brought him to Sora, the cherub teen that did not completely dismantle the cycle, but stopped every other rotating gear of Riku in it's tracks.

And that is just it. The other relationships he tried were simply not to be born; whether they or he left first, the silveret moved on without batting an eyelash. However, Riku has never cared so much for someone so quickly as he does for Sora. No one else has come this close to driving the silveret bat-shit insane either. The proof is in the simple fact that Riku is considering chasing him (again) even after retreating to his man-cave; the brunet brokne the cycle! Sora is so dazzling, so light, so perfectly imperfect that Riku does not want him so that the silveret can copy his ways. The silveret doesn't want to be saved. No, for once, all the silveret wants to do is nurture that amazing character that is Sora, take care of that light and be the spark to allow it to grow. And that is certainly new.

Riku then finally made up his mind. He's giving up his jungle dance, the swing from vine to vine in the social wilderness hoping to find one strong enough to hold him. In exchange, he's going to put his stubborn nature to good use; he won't let go of Sora or himself any longer. He knew he'd never find someone so good again, and Riku is tired of telling himself that he is not "good" enough. Fuck it, he is; if Sora can care about him then the silveret should at least care about himself too.

The stars twinkle happily at him, congratulating him on his self-discoveries. He smiles back, elated to have a purpose again and the hope of success. It's been awhile. But the silveret knows he's got a deadline; the camp ends in only three weeks. He knows it is imperative to win him before then, otherwise the brunet will look on ahead and go back into his own routine. Even a cell phone number is not enough to establish a single goddamn difference.

He stands from his thoughtful stump, determined and actually excited to start another day. Hopefully it is only a few hours away, for the silveret doubts the sandman will even bother with him tonight. He chuckles as he navigates out of the forest, enjoying the night that he so adheres to, his heart humming to the song of the night crickets. Even the cabins look welcoming as he approaches, all movement still and the boys silent in slumber. What freedom he has come to appreciate, even here, miles away from the urban rainforest. He has transformed this camp to his own purposes, and now he's ready to pull it's puppet strings.

He pauses at Sora's cabin door before going into his own and rests his forehead on the wooden frame, enjoying the Hollywood feeling of love. Oh, the anticipation of a happy ending and the competition with cruel life to get there. All Riku can say is, _game on._

* * *

**A/N: (1) Sora didn't hear the Axel/Riku convo part about Mikey's note, btw. Sora assumed what it meant from the little part he heard.**

**Whew! Okay, long chapter to make up for my absence. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I hope everyone got what they were hoping for :) I'm so honored to have made it this far, one more month and I will have been writing this story for half a year. Thank you for all those who have been reading and reviewing; every comment lights up my world and makes me anxious to sit down and write for you guys again! **

**Lots of love and holiday cheer,**

**Hannahble (kitty happy face) :DD**


	13. Chapter 13: Can't Stand (It)

**Chapter 13: Can't Stand (It)**

Seven days later, the morning did not bring the brunet any more comfort than it had last week. His chest felt as though it were submerged under the deepest ocean; it made him nauseous and choked, more so than his short conversations with death ever have. He sympathizes with the silveret's sick day now; perhaps he felt this way, so utterly distraught it made him ill. However, the brunet got up anyway, determined to get through the day without skipping out. Day seven; if he's gotten this far by faking it, surely he can make it another. Part of him was out to prove his strength, but another part wanted to prove how empty a person can be and yet function. Surely he should be feeling slightly better by now, though?

Despite his determination, he couldn't get his dreams from his mind, all memorable and plaguing that he woke up many times throughout the tossed and turned nights. They all had Riku in them. In one, he was playing Pokemon Yellow. The game was glitching, for whatever reason, frustrating him enough to throw the Gameboy across the room. Out of nowhere, as dreams tend to procure, the silveret appeared in front of him and kissed his cheek. In the dream, the brunet remembers smiling and instantly feeling better before the scene faded away. All the others went similarly to this one; Sora would break or make a botch of something, and then Riku would magically make it all better with the lightest touch. Sometimes, the dreams simply reconstructed a moment Sora had with him. Even the most recent memories, in which the brunet avoided the silveret like the plague, would recreate themselves from time to time, but the ending always had a twist. Riku would catch him. The repeating theme felt like a premonition, but so far Sora has been able to slip through the silveret's persistent clutches. Still, the dreams perturbed him, for the daylight makes all those little subconscious fantasies seem shamefully ridiculous.

Through a blur he meanders to the cafeteria for breakfast. He's wearing the same forest-mangled basketball shorts and t-shirt from a week ago, reeking of sweat and grass and trees but quite frankly, he doesn't give a damn. If any of his cabin-mates called out to him, he wouldn't have noticed. The brunet is a ball of yarn, rolling out into a frayed string. After arriving to the soon-to-be flooded mess hall, he barely tastes the cereal and toast he acquires from the food line and for the most part watches the other familiar faces as they gradually fill the table.

Axel and Roxas come through first, together. Already, Roxas is flustered; probably something the redhead said. The mischievous man smirks down at the blonde, taking all his insults and retorts with an amused smile. When Roxas has said his piece, the redhead shrugs and ruffles Roxas' hair. Sora doesn't see Axel's lips move, but Roxas mutters something and covers his hair, his face blooming into a bright red flush.

Sora sighs. Well, at least they can be close. Secretly he yearns. Could there be a better way than this, that leads to something like that?

Next Ventus comes through, closely followed by both Xion and T.K. Xion is conversing and laughing with both of them while T.K. dances to the food line. The raven-haired girl spares him a glance in which Sora attempts to smile toward her. She smiles genuinely back, so he assumes that it was convincing enough. Vaguely the brunet wonders if Coach has noticed the girl's gender yet, and if not, what he will do if he ever finds out. She doesn't seem too concerned with it, though perhaps that would be too complicated for her to be bothered with. And yes, he is still bitter about that. Sue him.

And then, the silveret comes through. Even Sora, resolved to stop caring (though completely unsuccessful), can't help but allow his wonder-filled blue eyes to follow him until the silveret places himself directly across from him. Riku has done this for several days now, yet his close proximity has not lost any of its glamour or thrill. If Sora weren't so sleep-deprived, he might be angry about it. Instead, Sora's sleepy eyes merely stare.

Riku's hair has haphazardly tangled itself into a ponytail, highlighting all the contours of his face. Whereas Sora's face has always been round and rounded, nothing about the male opposite him is even close to circular. Angular is the only way to describe him, really; straight jaw, heart-shaped face (he even has the widow's peak, yet another point on his body), arched eyebrows, and a quirky smile. His mind, though already tortured by the other plethora of other mental snapshots, takes another inward picture. Sora scowls, sure to see the image in one of his dreams soon.

Even if his mouth didn't say 'cheese', his eyes did. They are uncommonly bright today; Sora wonders if he had hung out with Axel again last night. His eyes were bright like this the day after Sora eavesdropped on their conversation in the forest, suggesting that some inner battle had been won. Whatever it was. But alas, his attire is still completely black; however, Sora knows how little his attire reflects his mood and rather how he views himself. The brunet can at least appreciate that after all, Riku is still undeniably Riku though Sora cannot say the same for himself.

"Good morning, Sora," he finally speaks, and Sora snaps out of his little world.

He mumbles in reply, "'Morning," glancing between the silveret and the table littered with cold food. He counts the left over foggy cheerios in his plastic, disposable bowl. May this morning be like the others, he prays, and have that greeting end the conversation.

Riku's turquoise eyes squint slightly in concern. Sora meets his eyes blankly, saying everything yet nothing at all. In response, Riku randomly procures a number-two pencil and a little college-ruled notepad. Sora watches with slight interest; this is a new tactic. He scribbles a sentence, half-assedly folds the page, and then passes it along with the pencil.

The brunet is a little more than shocked, taking the note with wide, screaming eyes and a silent tongue. Sure, Riku had been trying all week to get the brunet to speak with him, though unsuccessfully. However this private, desperate tactic is novel and infectiously hopeful. Be it, perhaps, that Sora is simply cracking after a full week of silence and drudging, but the sick Sora panics slightly as he recognizes the blooming feeling of happiness when he reads the scribble. The little hopeful note only says, "_You okay, Sor?" _The absurdity of the question nearly sends the brunet into hysterical, and not necessarily unwarranted, laughter. Luckily for the general peace of the public, the brunet represses the response and reassesses the question much like a computer program. It's all he can do to keep some composure, albeit degrading like the radioactive materials of a nuclear bomb.

Of course, the honest answer to such a question is something along the lines of: "_no, you manipulating douchebag, I'm not okay. Haven't been all week. So kind of you to notice." _But he didn't come to breakfast looking for a fight, much less with him. Sora isn't entirely sure he has the heart to physically hurt Riku in the first place, even after all this time; it would only harm the brunet more for the memories of their playful wrestling-vs.-martial-arts matches would break at such an occurrence. Despite himself, the memories are precious to him, evidence that the brunet can be fun and happy and valued.

The reminder of such memories is enough to supply Sora with some sort of answer. "I missed you," Sora says to him quietly, sliding the note back to Riku without even touching the pencil. He hopes his words are enough to effectively end the conversation. The brunet turns his head toward the rambunctious redhead and Roxas, both of whom are slowly making their way back to the table with their breakfast trays in Axel's hands. Sora would prefer to feel this sword of jealousy than the poisoned knife of any expression Riku could make in response.

It was an honest statement, one that not only answered Riku's question but also effectively changed the subject. Equally a malicious shot as a plea, Sora can't help but hope Riku felt the weight of both.

* * *

Sora's words did weigh heavily on him, though his logical mind fought the emotions effectively. The silveret knows that he broke off the connection between them first, but it has been Sora who has avoided him for a total of seven days now. That's not Riku's fault. He allows the slight indignation to settle, knowing that the anger can fuel his determination. Above all else, the silveret knows that they cannot part ways on these poor relations. It is not fates design, or his… which is more important, anyway.

Enduring the last week, Riku has come up with a very solid conclusion; Axel was right. Sora does, in fact, have an issue with resigning into misery instead of fighting fate whenever times get rough. As if looking into a mirror, the silveret has watched Sora retreat to his man-cave all the while giving Riku the cold shoulder. On top of that, Sora has managed to twist the events to justify his undeniable depression. Usually, so does Riku. In this way, the silveret isn't even angry that Sora has done this to himself- he's mostly impressed and understanding. However, Riku's pity party was short-lived and stood on the premise that Sora was the attractive replica of his dearly departed best friend, which was a mistake and- with all due respect- that is actually a good thing. Sora and Mikey are so similar in that they are both good, and good at it. But Sora is still in love with life, even if his emotions seem to make his actions betray his cause. In a roundabout way, Riku understands that the brunet can be "saved" whereas Mikey could not. If the silveret simply shifts his view in this way, he can see Sora as some sort of adorable, yet male, damsel in distress that needs a bit chasing. This is how Riku has kept his morale so impossibly high.

At the very least, it can be said that the note had an effect, which is a good sign. Finally, a break in the glacier that separates the two of them. At least it is still very apparent he still cares about the whole thing. However, Riku is running out of ideas on what he should do to bring about opportunities for the friendship to flourish again. Seven days, dozens of attempts and only today has one worked. They've been forced to play almost every sport, been all around the camp and even outside it… What's left to do? Riku can't think of anything but persisting in every possible event until Sora cracks. Goddamnit, why doesn't he have a psychological chisel for this?

However, there's another problem as well, like he needs any more. Sora, although obviously not attracted to girls (as expressed before, Riku has been very diligent in watching Sora as of late), doesn't seem to be gay either. Well. Nevermind. He seems very _gay_, but Riku doesn't think Sora knows it—if you know what I mean. It brings to question whether Riku should singly attack the friendship front, or add in some faggatory sprinkles into it as well. Axel wants him to "go for it", but such a vague statement deserves a vague response. Riku glances to the redhead, jealous as he observes that sly devil somehow got his arm around Roxas already. In what universe is Sora harder to get than Roxas? It isn't even fair. In this metaphorical battle between Riku and his beloved, the poor silveret is having a hard time juggling all these tactics. Chasing is a strenuous task, requiring strategy and some sort of inner navigational device to guide him through the endless maze. He's constantly switching out of Knight-Mode and into Prince-Mode, progressively becoming more desperate with each move.

All in all, though, Riku has never felt so fulfilled in his life, to be working for a worthy goal. Often times, Riku can win his desires by sheer willpower and what he considers higher ideology; meaning that because his cause is nobler and infused with faith, he will win. Because he's Riku, and he always wins. Some may stay up and ask what they stand for but finally, at least the silveret can say what- or rather, who- he stands for. And that'll be the key to his success.

* * *

Xion taps Sora's shoulder and he breaks his gloomy gaze on the ketchup mustard duo. He tries to conceal his surprise that she has come up to him; she seemed to understand that he couldn't speak to her yet over the course of the week, though she must have some higher intuition that says today is the day he faces what she had said. He feels a pang of resentment; couldn't she act as though nothing had happened, like they had for the past seven long days? First Riku, and now her? He can almost hear fate shuffling his cards.

"Hi, Xion," he tries to say enthusiastically, "I…er.. I'm sorry about that night, awhile ago." It is an honest apology, though he isn't quite sure what he is guilty for anymore. He still cringes from her simple ideology of simplicity though the reasons as to why vary from moment to moment. Sometimes he is scared to let go of complications. Sometimes he simply degrades the notion until he is satisfied that he 'defeated' it. Sometimes he longs for it. Yet it is always, no matter how he feels, too far away to grasp. Sora wonders if she knows that the brunet still does not understand it. He wonders if it is simply another unattainable dream that he may watch come to fruition in others but never witness in himself.

Aside from his conflict with Xion, the brunet can feel the silveret's intense, questioning gaze. Vengeful satisfaction knocks on the door of his heart, tempting him to indulge. Sora keeps his eyes on the girl, repeating over and over in his mind that he owes Riku nothing. After all, Riku has his secrets too. He can enjoy his own now, correct?

The raven haired girl waves her hand dismissively. "Don't even worry about it; I forgot about it, believe it or not," she giggles to herself. "I was actually gonna ask if you wanted to play chess with me. I don't wanna do the sports thing today."

Well, that would solve a few problems, such as the lack of fucks Sora gives (so he wouldn't be enthusiastically sporty today either) and the desperate need for the brunet to get out of his mind. A strategy game would do nicely. Maybe even Riku will give him a moment's reprieve in psyche and body by going with the others to play whatever sport Coach has in mind that day. With all this on hand, well, he doesn't exactly have to think twice. Smiling weakly, Sora replies, "That sounds great…"

And then, Riku interrupts, "We could make a competition out of it. I'd like to play, too." Goddamnit.

Xion smiles excitedly back at the silveret and says, "Awesome! The more the merrier! Axel, Roxas, care for chess?" That black-haired traitor. Doesn't she know that ketchup and mustard are bad for her figure?! Don't invite them, too!

Roxas groans, "Oh god, not that game. Anything but that game." It takes all of Sora's effort not to nod enthusiastically in his direction to indicate his approval.

"Awww, Rox, don't be like that," Axel cooed. He turns his gaze up to the girl and says, "I'm in. Could we make it strip chess?" Ugh, no, anything but that.

With a look of disgust, Xion and Roxas simultaneously slap the mischievous redhead. After a brief moment of silence, most of the group begins chuckling. For some reason the slap shocks him into relaxing ever so slightly. Even Sora can't help but giggle as Axel feigns tears and rubs his cheeks. It was about time someone slapped him today anyway (the action is usually warranted at least once an hour). Only Roxas looks even slightly regretful, grumbling under his breath, "Strip chess, seriously? Goddamnit, why….".

After the laughter subsides, Ventus points out, "So where will go for this? They're gonna kick us out soon."

Understanding that the snowflake on top of the mountain has already accumulated into a huge, unstoppable snowball of imminent chess, Sora nods in agreement. It's no use; his dream of a tranquil and relaxing game of chess has been slaughtered. He contributes, "They always close the cafeteria at about ten to prepare for the lunches." Right as the brunet begins to ponder solutions that might favor him most, Riku inserts happily, "Well, we can use our cabin."

Sora glances over to the silveret grumpily. Won't it be a little cramped in one small cabin? And how many people are there, seven? Or eight, if Chris joins. The look on his face is one of speculation; he must be up to something. But before Sora can protest, Axel butts in, "Yeah, that'd work! We'll have one of the beds dedicated to the two playing." The brunet's blue eyes glare at the redhead, but his green eyes don't spare him a glance.

It may be Sora's imagination, but he could have sworn that Axel winked at Riku. That bastard.

* * *

Riku hadn't really thought out his suggestion through; he merely saw a window of opportunity and jumped into it. However, once everyone got to the cabin, it was very hard to fit everyone in. T.K., Ventus, and Xion ended up on a top bunk, Axel and Roxas managed to take up all of Axel's bunk (go figure), and that left Sora and Riku to the last bunk. Of course, the silveret didn't mind in the least. Chris did end up trying to join, but seeing the group's several divides, he kept his distance and leaned on a post of one of the bunk beds. Riku idly wonders how long the awkward boy will remain with them before he decides to find some other, more interesting, employment.

Once everyone had at least a claimed spot, Xion climbed down from her post and set up the chess board. "Okay, who wants to play me first?"

"Well, wait, what are the rules?" Ventus asks cluelessly, glancing at the board. "I know how to play the game, I mean, but… how are we going about this?"

"Uhh…" Xion replies intelligently, "Well, I was thinking that whoever wins each battle plays the next game with another person, and whoever wins that game stays. Maybe we should keep a tally though, you know, keep track of who each person has battled."

Chris, looking eager to be included, butts in, "I can do that. I have a notepad."

"Thanks, Chris," Xion says with an appreciative smile. "Does that work, Ventus?"

"Mhmm," the happy blonde replies with a nod.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way," Axel cuts in, "I'll challenge ya, Xion." The redhead clambers off of his bunk and sits across the raven-haired girl. His face reflects complete indifference, but his eyes betray his act.

She giggles and shrugs. "Okay, but I'm gonna win."

"Whatever you say, shortie." And thus, their game commenced. Finally.

The silveret looks over to the stiff brunet residing by him. Riku can tell that it is a reluctant placement, for every time the blue-eyed male moves, he scoots another inch away. Sighing inwardly, he leans on his elbow, a pillar on his knee. Giving Sora a few more moments before conversation is attempted, Riku surveys the status of the room. Axel, Xion, and Roxas have engaged in conversation as the game progresses. Ventus and T.K. are conversing as well, though in a completely different language. Riku smiles slightly; only them. If Riku had the attention to watch subbed animes, he'd perhaps know bits and pieces of their conversation but alas, the silveret had always stuck to the English voice-over versions.

His turquoise eyes again rest on Sora in all his pouting glory. Using his acutest observation skills, Riku senses many emotions from the brunet: anger, by the glare in his eyes; reluctance by his slanted posture and detached expression; nervousness, by the fidgeting and twitching of his hands and right knee. Secretly the silveret hopes that it is not him who caused such feelings upon the brunet, but Riku doesn't know anyone else who would affect him so. And he wonders why, what is Sora thinking to make him feel this way? His only consolation is that soon, hopefully, Sora will no longer harbor these negative feelings and that the brunet will manage to forgive Riku—again.

"Sora?" Riku says softly, slowly. He keeps an unwavering gaze on the cherub's face, waiting for those beautiful blue eyes to look back. After a moment of reluctance, they grant him notice.

"Hmm?" Sora replies abruptly.

"I, uh, wanted to apologize," Riku says quicker than before, once again leaping through his window of opportunity. Sora simply gazes back. "Again," he adds, shortly.

"For what?" the brunet asks, voice sweet but eyes burning- with what? Anger, confusion? Riku can't tell. It's unnerving.

"For… disappearing last week," Sora's facial expression clearly replies 'and?' "and! For being distant since the camp started up again. I don't know what I was thinking."

The brunet's fiery expression melts into one of disbelief. "This is unlike you," he says plainly.

"It's unlike you to be so angry," Riku replies frankly; he hopes that his honesty will be more effective than any suave excuse he could conjure. Sora immediately pouts and shrugs. "It's not like I can help it…"

"I know. I am sorry." Riku attempts to sound as humble and honest as he possibly can, for at this moment he is both. However, he is also out of words. If any more slip from his tongue, he will spill more romantic beans. This would ruin everything, for the silveret knows more than anyone the importance of timing.

The blue eyes glare once again at him. "I'm kind of sick of your shit, Riku."

"It's okay, I am too," Riku replies, chuckling to take the insult in stride. Although the silveret could easily say that he is tired of _Sora's _immature silent treatment, fighting anger with anger will only bring more hatred, so the silveret shoves it to the side.

Even this earns him a small smile. Seizing the moment, Riku continues, "What can I do to prove to you I mean it?" He coughs and adds, "I want to make this right."

Sora takes a moment to look shocked, but then bites his lip to think. Riku watches, wallowing in the image; yes, this is what he wants. Just remember that, keep that passion, don't falter. One slip of footing and he'll be out of your grasp.

"Alright, you want a second chance?" Sora asks, self-satisfaction on his face evident. He must enjoy having the upper hand for once. Smiling, Riku nods hopefully, "Very much."

Sora smirks- a weird occurrence, let Riku tell you- and replies, "Beat me at chess, and I'll give you another chance."

The silveret has to nearly hold his eyes in place to stop them from rolling. How cheesy can this kid get? Yet, he likes it, the way that Sora can be a kid at the drop of a dime. It's a cute and admirable trait that the silveret hopes will one day rub off on him. Riku breaks into a wide smile, "Alright, it's a deal!" He holds his pale hand out.

"Uh-uh. Pinkie swear!" Sora holds out his pinkie, gazing at him in the most determined expression Riku has ever seen. What a dork; at least he's smiling for the first time in a week. Ignoring the melting sensation in his chest, the silveret goes along with it, hoping that in the future these little moments will be cherished. He has faith, despite all the signs, that he and Sora can be in an eternal competition, if nothing else. He holds out his pinkie, bended from the many years of holding down the fourth-finger notes on the violin. And thus they lock their pinkies, at least finally engaging in some private and mutual contest. Yet another step forward; two in one day, he must be in luck!

* * *

Sora watches the chess game intently, attempting to somehow force his heart to stop thumping so loudly and rapidly. What does the Riku think he's doing? Has this been the silveret's goal for the past seven days? Up, down, up, down! The brunet wasn't lying when he said he is so sick of his shit!

This morning and the rest of last week, Sora felt defeated, broken down, and downright depressed. In all his teenage intensity, Sora was sure of his feelings and determined to play the part. He was going to let them have their little "I-Hate-Sora" party, glide him through an angry torrent, and then allow himself to forget Riku. That was the foolproof plan. But oh no, that'd be too fucking merciful. Instead, Riku had to waltz back in and knock on Sora's conscience saying, "Hey, I'm sorry. I've changed! Lemme in! Everyone deserves second chances, right Sora?"

Okay, maybe he didn't say that directly, but that's exactly what the stupidly gorgeous silveret did! Curse his shoulder angels. If this is why girls complain about players, count this gullible brunet out. All he wanted was a friend, is that too much to ask? Friends don't emotionally exhaust each other. The silveret must not understand this concept. He is a shitty friend.

But Sora doesn't actually believe that; that's what kills him. As much as he would like to, he can't lie to himself. Secretly, Sora desperately wants Riku to be true to his word, to earn the brunet's trust back, to stay and never leave. Forget that the camp will be over in two weeks. Anyone can stay dedicated friends for fourteen days. Or at least, that's what Sora wants to believe. Surely friends don't feel this strongly about one another? Surely friends don't go through this much trouble for each other? But if they aren't friends, what are they? The brunet simply doesn't know anymore. Having been in a fog all week, simply fighting dream-Riku and his lethargy, Sora honestly doesn't know what he feels anymore. The heavy helpless feeling is almost enough incentive to ask Xion or Axel for advice.

Sora's head spins with all the questions bouncing around the nearly empty space between his ears. He hates himself for being so bendable, so bi-polar. One instance of hope should not knock him off balance like this. He almost prefers constant depression to the spontaneous yet forceful ambivalence. He fears that, against his will, he has become addicted to Riku's very presence. The fluctuations are worth it as long as the silveret always comes back; maybe Sora just likes the emotional roller coaster ride. But maybe this is all some crazy emotional high; Sora hasn't felt so weird before. Everything was so simple before. Things were either happy or sad; there was no bittersweet, no simultaneous love and hate. Perhaps the only instance comparable to these emotions is the death of his family, but even that was so overwhelmingly sad that there are few memories he can honestly say bring a smile to his face. Even now, a decade later, the distress is still overwhelming. His life is on overdrive and Sora's heart can't possibly catch up!

Yet, after all, maybe it is Sora who is over-exaggerating all these feelings. Maybe Riku's actions aren't nearly as devastating as Sora perceives. Maybe Xion was right; everything could be so much simpler again if the brunet would just take a deep breath and shake it off. These thoughts are the ones that hurt the most. Even selfless Sora doesn't want to take on that kind of blame. Sora wouldn't hurt himself, would he?

Maybe this is why Riku talked about his friend with Axel instead of him; Sora couldn't possibly compare, not because there is no room for Sora in his heart, but because Sora can't possibly be worthy to take his place. Axel is much more capable to listen (which, that in itself, is a frightening thought). The scars Riku carry, Sora would only reopen them. Friends uplift friends; friends don't bring each other down. Being so easily swayed by the constant tides of his tsunami emotions, Sora can't expect Riku to hold his ground with such an inconsistent person. Suddenly, the brunet is overwhelmed with guilt; perhaps it is Sora who should be apologizing.

But it is too late; Riku has already made his deal. Sora accepted, and he isn't going to take it back. The brunet can be selfish once more; he wanted a friend, and if Riku is so eager than he can at least try. All Sora has to do is lose against Riku. For once, the course of his fate is in Sora's hands. For once, he can choose to walk away or stay. Now that, in itself, is a Miracle.

* * *

Axel and Chris lose to Xion, Xion loses to T.K., and then Roxas loses to T.K. as well. On the way back to his spot in Axel's arms he grudgingly challenges Riku to beat the Japanese teen. T.K. smiles, seeming to understand. The turquoise eyes glance at Sora for some sort of reaction. There is none to notice; he hasn't changed since the whole pinkie promise thing. He is still slightly flushed, looking somewhat content and yet somewhat confused or distressed. Albeit a cute expression, the silveret can't help but feel that Sora's actions are simply unhealthy.

He pats Sora's knee, effectively scaring him into attention. "After I beat him I'm going to challenge you," Riku informs him, smirking in confidence.

The brunet simply nods, blushing a deeper pink into his cheeks. Slowly Riku lifts his hand off of the teen's knee (for that sexy lingering effect), and clambers down from the bunk. He truly does hope he can beat T.K. though it has been awhile since he has seriously tried to defeat someone in chess. The silveret had become proficient at the game, but unaccustomed to winning because Mikey was such a genius strategize-r. Riku suspects that as soon as Riku moved his first piece on the board, Mikey had already planned out the entire game with back up plans and escape routes to any attempt Riku would make. But, he reminds himself, the blonde incoherent male is not Mikey. If anything, Riku will have the advantage if he can remember all Mikey's strategies.

He sits carefully across from the fidgety teen, attempting to settle in without knocking over the pre-set board. Of course, he got the black pieces. Glancing up to his opponent, he says, "White always goes first," though he isn't sure T.K. understands. Nevertheless he waits, using the time to recollect all those tactics and plans Mikey had taught him.

And then T.K.'s tan hand reaches out and seizes a pawn. He moves it forward two spaces, and the game begins.

* * *

After a full thirty minutes of pure mental agony, Riku finally gets the Japanese bastard into a check. The silveret has to wait another five minutes until he makes another move, but because of Riku's strategy it doesn't provide a comfortable save. Riku moves forward his bishop and brings T.K. into another check. The blonde moves his king away again, and the silveret has to resist a laugh. Riku can continue to chase his damn king all day if he has to, just like he can chase Sora for a week or more if he has to. He knows he will win in the end. He has to.

It could be worse, he muses. He knew a girl who chased after a guy for six months before finally accepting defeat. Even then, she remained his loyal friend despite being utterly friend-zoned. It was a shame really; even Riku could see she was beautiful inside and out even if he wasn't attracted to her either. Being bi-sexual-leaning-toward-gay kind of hindered his appreciation of her physique. Anyway, Riku hopes it doesn't take that long, only to accept rejection. He can't think about that.

It takes another five turns before he finally corners T.K.'s king and takes it with a random pawn, surprising even those outside the game. The silveret takes a moment to accept the victory and then sighs in relief. Well, one game down. T.K., accepting defeat without any hard feelings, high-fives the silveret and slips off the bunk, happy to return to Ventus' understanding and Xion's giggle. The silveret doesn't blame him in the least; one game of chess is hard enough. Three in a row must be mentally exhausting. But all is fair in love and war, and for Riku it is both.

Reminded by the cliché phrase of his intended opponent, his turquoise seek out Sora. He remained on the bunk, watching the scrambled board in silence. Riku smiles, "Come on, Sora; you're next."

Axel laughs, "Next for what? Next to beat you?"

Riku glares at his friend, "No, not even close. I am definitely going to win."

"Whatever you say. Last camp session only Namine could beat him. D'you remember that, Sora?"

Climbing down from their bunk, Sora replies with an attempt at playfulness, "Pfft. I let her win."

"You don't sound convinced of that at all," Axel laughs back, "Poor Demyx though; I heard she told him they could date if he ever beat her at chess."

"Who are you guys talking about?" Xion asks, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, friends from the last camp. Riku, Sora, Roxas, and I are all returns from the beginning of summer," Axel explained, pointing to each of those he mentioned. "You missed out," he added.

"Sounds like it," she says, turning her attention away from the chatty redhead. Riku also averts his eyes from the center of the conversation and looks to Sora. Saving him the energy of climbing onto the bed without knocking over the chess pieces, Riku folds the board and lets all the pieces slide into his lap. When Sora assumes some comfortable position, the silveret lays out the board and places the piece.

"White or black?"

"I'll take white, please," Sora says, gazing at the board as if it holds all the answers to life and death.

"O.K. chief," Riku replies, setting up the board accordingly.

It doesn't take long for Axel and Roxas to start their conversation, and soon after Xion, Chris, Ventus, and T.K. (somehow) start their own as well. Riku can vaguely catch pieces of their discussion about chocolate, surely a topic brought up by the woman in the group. As if fate itself directed their attention away, Riku feels the isolation between him and the flustered Sora. What a wonderful feeling, that even in this cramped bunk with so many other people they can still be alone together. Never mind that Sora doesn't quite enjoy that fact at the moment.

The silveret waits anxiously for Sora to make his move; having taken the white pieces, for the rest of the game Riku must wait on him. It's almost a symbolic gesture, but the silveret tries to not look much into it. Should he start a conversation? Should he wait for Sora to move before saying anything? Oh how surprised his mother would be to find Riku so nervous.

Sora moves his pawn forward, and the game begins. Riku releases a breath he hadn't noticed he was holding. Though it is Riku's turn, Sora speaks first. "You know I won't go easy on you. I'm still mad."

"That's okay, Sor, I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Don't let me down."

"I won't."

And Riku moves forward his piece.

* * *

Typical of the two stubborn teens, after a solid forty five minutes they are still neck in neck. If one has lost a bishop, so has the other. Occasionally their friends would spare a moment of attention to the game, and Riku would then apologize and they'd always reply with "It's fine. You guys are good. I'd hate to be the one to play any one of you." Sora would send a seemingly genuine smile their way and say thank you. Then the game would continue.

In truth, Sora recognizes that Riku is indeed putting his best foot forward for this game. He is playing well and even Sora has to think for a few minutes before making a move. That is the only way he could survive against the witty silveret. However, there is definitely a part of him that is merely playing with him, like a mouse poking it's nose out of its home just to see if the cat is nearby to attempt at clawing. It is his harmless version of vengeance.

However his game doesn't bring him any closer to his answer. Does he want to let Riku in again? Does he want to give him a second chance? Normally he'd grant forgiveness no matter what, but in all honesty Sora is scared. It is easy to forgive when the wound isn't more than a small scratch. It isn't easy to forgive when the wounds are gaping. The brunet would be naive to think that Riku couldn't inflict some formidable damage. Part of him wants to take that chance, but part of him wants to run away like the little mouse. Shouldn't the mouse learn that the cheese is probably placed on a trap?

Riku moves his knight forward. Sora attempts to focus on the game again. As the clock ticks on it becomes more and more difficult for him to truly focus on the game. Undoubtedly his ADHD is playing into his loss of concentration, but the connotations and strings attached to the game itself are very distracting. After looking at the board for a few moments, he maneuvers his bishop away from the knight, suspecting Riku's motives.

Sora already feels sick of the idea that he has control over his fate; he has no idea how to dictate the situation. The brunet isn't a very decisive person. He has the duration of this game to decide and yet it is difficult. Surely it shouldn't be so grueling to answer a simple yes or no question. To be his friend, or not to be; that is the question. For a few fleeting moments, Sora wishes that he could be like Xion; simple and naïve and straightforward. In fact, the brunet would do anything just for a breath of fresh air… that might help clear his mind, just for a few moments…

"Checkmate."

Sora jerks his line of sight over to Riku. "What?"

The silveret sheepishly points to the board. Sora follows his finger and stares at the board. 'Lo and behold there stood Riku's knight atop the spot where the brunet's kind had stood. Sora instantly realizes his mistake; Riku hadn't been after his bishop. How could he have been so careless!

The blue eyes continue to stare at the black knight that took his king's place. For whatever reason, it brings tears to his eyes but not out of anger. He can feel his cheeks flush and his shoulder shake ever so slightly. His king of sorrow, the rule of his self-pity and anger and bitterness has been slain by his dark knight. Oh what irony.

Riku won.

* * *

**A/N: Well that took forever. I am so sorry it's taken this long to update! Schoolwork got heavy and then I had to study for the SAT and then I was all emotionally distraught from my many social issuesT_T But its mostly over now. I am still dedicated to finishing this story, its just going to take longer than I thought!**

**Anyway, thank you to all who are still reading :) This is my longest coherent story yet, and I am so happy to have those who read and actually like it. I will be updating as soon as I can! I already have things in mind for the next chapter.**

**I've also been coming up with a playlist for this story. The songs for this chapter were Some Nights by FUN (for Riku) and Lost It by Nevershoutnever for Sora :) At some point I will post the songs for other chapters and characters.**

**Happy fanficing! And Happy Saint Patrick's Day!**


	14. Chapter 14: Miracles

**A/N: Before the story starts...**

**SPECIAL THANKS TO: Kriegsmaschine, MisfitMisaki, Ruby Warrior Girl 730, Strawberry Cake with Yaoi, darkwaterwolf, kittinolegs, Alexa Moon, Emmarose13, Naruta13, Neliayui, Sasulchi4ever, ShafiraHatake, ShaokiUzumi, StrifesLove, TeukieWookie, TheBlackenedAbyss, Yumi-Ulrich4Ever, ZSAngel, animeluvv679, beeabeeon49, kingdom of tsunderes, mikepd, pyrobookwyrm, ****TangleTalon393, LucifernSatan, xacexz, EveeRoseRunner, Au-the-Spirit, KoolKid9875, **PerpetualXLight, Justice333, Digimatic, Maxlnu23, DemyxFangirl (I am one too, I actually want his hair: anyway,), DreamsComeFromTheHeart, guest on chapter13, AnimeFreak4261, nidoarisato, Soko-chan, Skylar Light, Sable-Reiver, DieChan, Amy, youknowily, sometimes i don't get myself, CrazyHighLunatic, and kilala2tail.

**Thank you so much for your support with reviews and following/favoriting. I cannot properly express how honored I am to have all of you reading Miracles. It is truly a dream come true!**

**Okay, enough fluff, now onto the story... (Love to all of you!)**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Miracles**

Riku knew he had won out of sheer luck. The look on Sora's face was simply a work of art; as if coming off a rollercoaster, his expression was free of his shield and chains. Flushed, shocked; the silveret watched, in that minute moment, the clouds in his blue eyes fade away. His eyes were crystals that no camera could ever hope to capture.

Then that moment ended, and with dismay Riku watched all those walls come up. Despite that, Riku can't hold back the rush of exhilaration and joy that rushes through him from his victory. A frown forms on the brunet's lips and Sora sighs in frustration, "You just have to make everything so much harder, don't you?"

So many risqué responses come to mind immediately. However, Riku can tell the brunet is at least partially legitimately angry, so he resists the perverted responses. He also understands; it would be so much easier for Sora to let Riku go rather than give him another chance. But he is persistent and unflinching—he can withstand this, for the victory is still his. Sora can have his conflicted emotions as long as they lead him back to Riku. And he is almost 100% certain they will.

Feeling mischievous, the silveret replies, "Of course, it's my specialty." Though he knows Sora would never think of it himself, Riku can't help but snicker: _that could mean __**two **__things…. _

The brunet huffs in reply and climbs off the bunk. The creak of the stiff mattress catches the attention of Xion, who peers over the side of the bunk and exclaims, "Sora lost?"

Axel, alerted by his friend's name, looks over and lets his jaw drop. "But.. Sora… no, what have you done?!"

"Oh shut up, Axel. He won fair and square," Sora admits begrudgingly. The lithe, small body pushes itself up to the top bunk. When he turns back, the brunet's expression is one of a pout.

"I'm stunned," Axel continues, gazing at Sora as though bewildered by his defeat. Roxas pushes the redhead's shoulder and rolls his eyes. "Well, that's not too hard to do. Wait till you see me play."

Riku smirks at the blonde's sly attempt to attain Axel's attention again. Because Axel is so smitten, he completely misses the ploy, turning back in a sheepish frenzy. "Of course, Roxy," he pokes his crush's side, "I just didn't think a cutie like you would like chess."

Roxas pushes him off the bunk. "I'm not cute, you bastard." He glares at the ridiculous male on the wood floor as he rubs his side. "Ow… Roxy, why are you so meaaan to meee…?"

Even Sora snickers down at the scene. Properly subdued by the chuckles, Axel creeps back onto the bunk to pout and Sora's defeat is promptly forgotten.

Xion, undeterred, asks the general group, "So, who wants to challenge Riku next? I think Roxas is the only who hasn't played yet."

Looking back to the redhead, Roxas rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I'm on. Anything to get away from this dumbass."

He climbs off the bunk. "You wound me," Axel whines.

"I thought tough guys like you don't get wounded," Roxas comments callously.

"Hey! Tough guys have feelings too! Like pyromania, aggression, lust…"

"Pfft. What a wonderful canvas of emotions you got there," Riku joins, amused by the extravagant game of cat and mouse the two are so absorbed in.

"Okay, Axel, I'll make you a deal," the blonde says casually, seating himself across the black-clad male, "If I lose, I'll be nice to you."

"REALLY-?"

"BUT if I win, you have to leave me alone for 24 hours."

After a quick moment of silence, Axel exclaims, "I have never wanted someone to fail so badly. GO RIKU, HE'S OUR MAN, IF HE CAN'T DO IT THEN- FUCK!"

"Shut up!" Roxas scowls, retracting the hand that launched a pawn into the redhead's forehead. "Ow!" the pyromaniac complains, pouting as he returns the pawn to Riku (the safer bet). "So feisty."

Riku rolls his eyes, takes the pawn and returns it to the vacant position on the board. He turns to Roxas. "I'm not going to go easy on you either," he says, "In case you thought I was on your side."

The blonde curses under his breath but replies nonetheless, "Eh, I guess that'll make it more fun."

"That's the spirit." And Roxas moves his first piece.

* * *

Riku won the tournament. After beating Roxas, he played all those he hadn't played previously and easily dominated. However, no matter what two opponents play chess, the game itself always takes a decent amount of time. His peers didn't seem to mind, but by the time Riku became champion it was easily five in the afternoon.

The timing is flawless, however, for not soon after they pick up the board, the pieces, and the random debris (that they accumulated from being in a single cabin too long), Coach's voice booms over the PA system that supper is served. Sora, instinctually sensing doom, attempts to scramble off the bunk and escape from the cabin. However, the silveret deftly catches his wrist.

Blushing from being caught, the brunet turns around. "Sorry for the rush, but uh-" he stumbles, "I'm really hungry."

Smiling knowingly, Riku replies, "Me too. I just thought we'd all go together." Sora knows that the silveret really means him and Sora; he probably couldn't give a rat's ass about the others. However the simple statement doesn't give him very many options. Faking enthusiasm, the brunet says, "Oh, of course!"

The silveret somewhat traps the brunet by the door as they wait for the others to retrieve their shoes and gather themselves enough to leave for food. The brunet uses the moments of calm to take a few deep breaths. He knows that his brain is hardwired to push Riku away, but fate obviously decided for him; a second chance is a clean slate. Maybe if he doesn't think too hard about it, forgiveness and kindness will just come naturally. Just focus on something else.

He shifts his attention to Roxas, resisting the overwhelming sense of confusion. Lucky for Sora, the blonde certainly isn't a hard target to lock on to; the ketchup and mustard duo are so noisy and rambunctious it is hard to focus on anything but them. Their friendship is one that Sora can't quite understand. He isn't even sure if "friendship" is the right word. On the surface, anyone would say that Roxas absolutely hates Axel, if any reason, for being so hard to handle. But anyone looking closer would notice the blush on the blonde's cheeks, the proximity in which he purposefully places himself to Axel. Sora is reminded of Tom and Jerry, the old cartoon in which the mouse, Jerry, is constantly goading the cat to chase him. Why does the mouse tease the cat? Why does the cat take the bait?

Sora, not originally being his friend, doesn't know Roxas well enough to answer. So instead he looks on in wonder. He watches Xion, Ventus, T.K., Axel, and Roxas and wonders what it all means for him and Riku. Of course, no answers come but the brunet can't help but hope that his school-hardwired brain will eventually make sense of it. He hates his overly analytical brain, but his desperate search for the right answers in life and happiness seem to corner him into these same preoccupying habits. Right now, it's all too overwhelming.

* * *

The silveret unashamedly breaks the status quo by sitting next to Sora at dinner instead of across. Surprisingly enough, it actually accentuates the group more coherently, as Xion moves to sit in between Ventus and T.K. The final composition results in Roxas, Axel, Sora and Riku in that order on one side, and Ventus, Xion, T.K. and Chris on the other.

Axel pretends to shiver. "It's like watching a doppelganger," he says, glancing between Roxas and Ventus.

"Just when you thought you wanted more of me," Roxas replies casually, unimpressed by the cliché comparison between him and his twin brother.

The redhead turns to the blonde, "I always want more of you, Roxy."

'Roxy' makes a disgusted face, "You wanna rephrase that?"

"Nope."

Riku snickers. "Well at least you aren't that bad," Sora tells his silveret friend, attempting at humor.

"Like I would use pick up lines like that," Riku comments back quietly.

"Its kinda weird that Axel does that in the first place," Sora says, unsure.

"Weird, or just obvious?"

"What's obvious?" Axel and Sora ask at the same time. Axel speaks with a glare but Sora merely looks confused.

Riku raises his eyebrows and lifts his hands up in surrender. "Nothing, I said nothing."

Axel, continuing his glare until the last moment possible, turns away. Sora however persists. "No, seriously, what do you mean?"

Riku is unsure how to proceed. Sora obviously does not see the hardcore gay romance commencing on the other side of him, but the silveret doesn't want to leave his crush hanging.

"I'll tell you later," Riku says softly to the frustrated brunet. He glances to the others at the table and sends Sora a significant look as if to say 'I can't tell them'. He hopes to have several effects from this: one, that Sora will appreciate Riku telling him and not the others; two, it will satisfy Sora enough that maybe he'll forget the conversation entirely. One cannot be too careful in situations such as these, in Riku's mind.

With a slight pout, the blue eyed wonder shrugs, shifting slightly away from the ever closer silveret. Riku smiles; it's just too cute of him. It causes him to forget Mikey, just for awhile, and reminds him of all the good the silveret so desperately strived for. Riku was never one to believe that someone else could solve his problems but… well, Sora certainly seems to help by simply downsizing the past's importance. Sora is his future. Hopefully, at least. And it is a relief to head toward the future instead of trying to fix the past.

"So… when are we going to hang out again?" the brunet suddenly asks, staring at his dinner tray.

Riku looks over again, shocked. Is he for real? Twenty minutes ago he was angry! He scrambles around his brain to come up with some scenario he could commit to, stuttering, "Ye- uhh- hmm…"

And that's when it clicks. Narrowing his eyes, the turquoise orbs squint at the smirking brunet. "You just want me to tell you the thing about Axel before you forgiet, don't you?"

The cherub face slowly breaks into a mischievous smile, "Dangit! I had you going for a minute!"

"Oh, I see how it is," Riku replies, riding the banter, "You're cruel, Sor."

And finally, the brunet genuinely laughs and Riku knows that the ice is breaking.

* * *

That night, Sora lay in bed unable to sleep. He stared at the ceiling of his bunk, feeling the shift of life. He recalls _The Grapes of Wrath_, when Ma (main woman character) mentions that whereas women live in one swoop or flow, men tend to live in jerks; the good and the bad parts of life all like train stations where they board and leave to wait for their next train. Today, Sora boarded a train. Though the whiplash of emotions still nag at him like the waves on the Galveston shore, he feels strangely motivated, perhaps because someone finally reached their hand out to him; Riku displayed his desire to be close with him. Someone wants him around. No one hates Sora as much as Sora does, yet just the mere inclination that someone else _doesn't _and actually enjoys him as a person gives him a strange hope. Everyone thus far in his life, aside from his adoptive parents, let him drift away and the brunet was callous to it. But Riku didn't.

Sora had been waiting for this burst of happiness ever since his King fell, but now in the dark, the night, the quiet, the solidarity of the moment he lets it wash over him. He's excited about where this train is going; he's relieved to be heading somewhere different.

However, Sora is starting to believe that- perhaps… maybe…- he might need help. Sora feels so emotionally high-strung, physically tense, and mentally exhausted he doesn't trust, well, anything. He's gone from letting go, to taking control and chances, then to incomprehensible heartbreak, and now back taking chances and… Well, after that, he doesn't know. He doesn't understand anything lately; what he should be doing, how he should be feeling, and even whether, and then what, he should be learning from all this chaos. He understood being depressed, as he had been so recently, but he didn't understand this faith and hope that he acted upon.

And what exactly is he hoping for? He has faith and hope that Riku will be the friend he was before but… can the past be repeated? No. Sora knows that. So what is he doing, giving second chances and re-trusting? Maybe he has some hope that it'll even be better than before. Sora still holds onto the fact that after this camp is over, none of this drama and confusion will matter, yet he still wants to do the right thing. The brunet is also drawn into the intricacies of his new friends and himself, suspecting that maybe if he just got his head on straight he could actually learn something from all of this and maybe become someone he doesn't have to hate. Maybe even become someone who doesn't have to wait for Miracles.

Sora thinks its time to talk to Axel.

* * *

Riku woke up the next day with a text from his mom (first one throughout the entire summer thus far). It surprised the silveret enough to open up his phone and actually read it. The content was worth the effort as well:

"_Hey Ri baby! I hve a surprise 4 u! I got a different apartment. It's still in Houston but u got zoned to a different school 4 nxt yr. Srry boo, but I think it'll b a good change. :-) Hope u r having fun! We'll talk more when u get home. TTFN ~Mom"_

Riku at first simply stares at the screen, not entirely sure how to feel about the sudden and undisputed change. Normally, his mom would allow him to have a say in such a decision. However, in all honesty, that is the only quarrel he has with this change. As long as he doesn't go to the apartment and find a strange man living and kissing his mother, he honestly won't care at all about the move. As for the new school, well, that doesn't matter to him much either. After Mikey passed, Riku didn't have anyone he wanted to talk to. Sure, being a senior at a familiar school would have had some perks but the whole high-school seniority principle never mattered to him much.

He wonders where Sora will be calling home after camp. He assumes somewhere Southern due to his mild use of the slang word "y'all" but that only narrows the possibilities down to a third of the nation. He sighs. Hopefully the brunet hasn't had to deal with a lot of moving around, for although Riku accepts such changes easily, Sora doesn't even deserve such tumultuous events. For Riku though, this sudden change of plans will allow him a fresh start, which will facilitate the perseverance of Riku's personal changes. In realizing this, the silveret becomes more convinced that fate smiles on those who work to better themselves and that maybe life can start heading towards the better for both of them. He hopes that his brunet counterpart will receive such graces soon as well.

* * *

Today's activities separate the boys from the girls so that they can participate in football and volleyball respectively. Ironically, but unsurprisingly, Xion ends up with the boys. Luckily for her, however, she also ends up on the same team as Axel, Sora, and T.K. who compete for the spotlight, detracting attention and possibilities and harm away from her. The sport also serves the brunet's purposes too. Although not Sora's favorite sport by any means, football gives him an opportunity to spend some time with Axel in the hopes of finding a way to talk to him alone. He just hopes his social skills max out for this time so that the redhead doesn't disregard Sora's attempts due to his awkward disposition.

It takes awhile, but Sora's efforts to play simultaneously with Axel proves fruitful in the end when the Coach sends both of them to the bench to allow others a chance to play. Exhausted from purposefully tackling Roxas repeatedly on the field, Axel nearly collapses onto the bench, breathing heavily. Also tired from running and dodging tackles, Sora plops himself on the ground next to the sweating redhead, wiping the sweat on his brow onto his loose t-shirt.

"I never thought you'd be the one to play football," Sora says, panting.

"I don't…. But I do play rugby and Quiditch." The pyromaniac smirks, stroking his long hair out of his face.

"That would explain the roughness," Sora replies, laughing.

"Oh no, that's just for Roxy." Sora, instead of responding, looks at the redhead curiously. Soon after though, the light-bulb over this head flickers on.

"It's crazy how you and Roxas have become friends…" Sora begins hesitantly. "We really need to catch up, I feel like I'm missing something here," the brunet finishes, ending lightly and somewhat bashfully.

The redhead laughs knowingly. "Well, I think you're right," he lightly punches Sora's shoulder, "We need to hang out again, catch up like old pals. I guess we got so caught up being social butterflies we forgot about each other." Axel can obviously only count himself in the last sentence, but he includes Sora as well presumably to open the initial door of friendliness.

Sora sends him a genuine smile, "Definitely. How about after the football game we play cards?"

Axel's green eyes gaze up at the sky with a finger at his chin, pretending to consider it. "What the hell, why not?" Axel grins, "I get to decide what game though."

The brunet shrugs. "Sure, I don't mind."

"That's the fucking spirit!" Axel rapidly turns his head away, as if he heard his name. "Ah, shit, Coach is calling me. Well, see yah!" He stands, brushing off his knees. "Good to have you back, Sora.," he says, finally, and walks from the bench, jogging to get into the team formation.

_Yeah, it is._

* * *

Riku would think it'd be easy to find Sora after the strenuous football game; afterward, despite victory or defeat, many players were too exhausted to wander around too much. After the showering frenzy and the rapid and haphazard change of clothes, the camp generally died down. Only the girls seemed energized, swimming and giggling at each other in their bikinis.

Of course, the only reason Riku would know this has nothing to do with the ladies themselves, but rather that the silveret felt the best way to find the brunet would be by asking them. He knew Sora wouldn't be with them due to the water that accompanies a pool, but he was hoping he'd at least get a direction.

"Hey girls," Riku says coolly, trying his best to sound disinterested in them so they wouldn't make a big deal of his presence.

"Oh, hey, Riku!" One young lady responds, recognizing the silveret immediately. She smiles sweetly at him. "What're you doing over here?"

Suddenly another swims over to him, adding, "Why don't you come swimming with us?"

"Oh, uh, no thanks," Riku responds politely, "I just showered. I'm actually just stopping by to ask if you ladies would know where Sora is."

The girls almost erupt into giggles, though a few look on disgustedly. He isn't sure if they are disgusted at the giggling girls or him, but he lets the situation go, not wanting to goad them on.

Mid-giggle, one girl responds, "I saw him about hour ago heading to the showers but…"

"Yeah, that's a bit too long ago," Riku replies, somewhat annoyed. He's about to ask again with more specifics when he hears his name.

"Hey, Riku!" a familiar voice suddenly calls. The silveret turns, relieved to have a reason to turn away from the girls. Behind him, Roxas and Xion approach clad in towels and swimming gear.

"Hey, Roxas… Xion," Riku greets. "Are you guys seriously going to swim after all that?"

Roxas shrugs. "I couldn't find Axel so I figured why not. I passed Xion on the way to our cabins and she said she wanted to join."

"She?" the silveret replies, confused.

"Oh yeah, you were sick that day…"

Xion suddenly speaks, "Sorry for lying, Riku."

Taken aback by the clearly female voice, Riku replies, "Uh… it's no problem, you never actually spoke so… I'm just uh, surprised is all."

Xion laughs a little, "I surprised everyone. It was kind of silly to hide it in the first place, but here we are. I'm surprised you didn't hear me talking to Ventus and T.K. this morning."

Riku nods. He hears some girls in the pool behind him gasp and whisper a bit. "Cat's out of the bag now for sure," the silveret responds, tilting his head to indicate the girls behind him. Xion shrugs in reply.

"Well, anyway, Riku," Roxas starts, impatient, "You want to swim with us? We'll wait for you."

"Uh…" Riku hesitates, w_hat about finding Sora? Well… maybe it'd be a good idea to give him space today. I wanted to tell him about my moving though. _A girl's voice jolts him from his thoughts, "Come on, Riku, it'll be fun!" The silveret is doubtful, but he finally decides it'd be good to hang out with Roxas for a bit without Axel following him around for once. Where is he anyway? He sighs.

"Sure, just give me a few minutes. I'll be back."

"Cool, see you in a few!" Roxas replies enthusiastically, granting him a rare small smirk. Riku lifts up a hand in a lazy wave and heads back to the cabins.

* * *

Axel and Sora camp out behind the cafeteria on a park-type table after the post-football hype calms. Few people come by the area, so it is a good place to speak freely. The redhead sits across from Sora, shuffling the cards quietly and humming a happy tune, seemingly amused already. Sora waits patiently, enjoying the slight breeze of the evening and the darkening yellow sky.

"Looks like we'll only get a few rounds," Sora comments, gazing around, "The sun's already going down."

"We should be alright… you'd think they'd set up a goddamn light out here."

Sora laughs, "Yeah, well, you never know with this camp."

"It certainly has been an experience," Axel replies with a small snort, uncharacteristically calm and serious.

"I don't think anyone expected this camp to be what it is," Sora continues.

"No kidding. I was damn sure I'd have been kicked out by now."

"Seems like Roxas gets the blunt of all your mischief," Sora replies lightly, joking.

"Ah, you are so right. I suppose I ought to thank him for putting up with my bullshit, right?"

Sora laughs genuinely, "That's up to you, but I can't say I'd be able to withstand it!"

"Your honesty wounds me, Sora, what about all the things I've done for you!?"

"What, dying Riku's hair? …Well, now that I think about it, that was pretty funny."

"I could do it again," Axel replies jokingly, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Pfft. He'd know it was you now."

"Sigh. The loss of anonymity is the worst," the redhead replies, mocking sadness and returning to his somber calm.

"And I thought I was overdramatic," Sora says teasingly.

"Hey, I'm _theatrical, _Sora, there is a difference," Axel replies affronted.

The brunet laughs, "If you say so…" Axel begins dealing cards and Sora picks up his, ordering them from twos to aces.

"Alright, do you have the two of spades? Whoever has it, or a two of anything, starts."

Sora lays down his two of clubs, beginning their game. "So…" Sora begins, unsure of how to proceed, "How's life?"

"Mm," he lays down a card, "Just dandy, actually. Glad to be away from home."

"Oh? I never got your story."

Axel snorts again. "No one has 'my story', doofus…" When Sora stays silent, the redhead continues, "But, long story short, I have terrible fucking parents who send me away whenever possible. Of course, I don't make it easy for them anymore, and I make it goddamn difficult for them legally whenever possible but as soon as I turn eighteen I'm disappearing from them. Never to fucking return. I'll become a pirate or something."

He adds on the last sentence to lighten the mood, but Sora can tell he holds a lot of anger towards his upbringing. "Ah, I see… I'm sorry," Sora replies sympathetically; he can certainly relate to such anger. He lays down a card and draws another, waiting for Axel to continue the game and conversation.

"It's alright, it's just what I've got to deal with. Like I said, it's been nice here, to get away and not worry about, well, anything. And what about you, shortie?"

"Pfft, Axel, I'm not short, you're just tall…" Axel snickers but doesn't respond, placing another card down. "I'm alright… well. Sort of. I'm actually very confused. I was actually hoping you'd be able to help me."

Axel laughs inexplicably and replies, "Man, why is everyone coming to _me _for advice? Of all fucking people!" He continues to laugh while Sora attempts to push aside his jealously and anger; of course he isn't supposed to understand what Axel means, but after overhearing his conversation with Riku he can't help but feel bitter about the experience.

"I don't know, I guess you seem trustworthy."

"That's a load of bull, but I get where you're coming from," Axel sighs, "Well, what's been bugging you?"

"I'm not even sure where to start…"

"Start with the first thing that comes to mind," the redhead replies encouragingly.

"Well… Okay. To start off, I've never had close friends like this. I'm kind of used to people befriending me and then drifting away. I don't really open up to anyone like this…" Sora lays down a card, thinking about how to proceed.

"Okay…so trust issues."

"Y-yeah, you can say that."

"Most people have those; anyway, continue," Axel ends, placing another card on the pile.

"Well… I guess I'll just start it this way," Sora says quietly, mostly to himself, and continues, "I grew up on a weird belief system. My parents are heavy believers in fate and what they call miracles," Pause, he lays down a card, "They are like… well, like when you get a joker in this game. It can change the whole round, and gives you a huge advantage. For my dad, he always says his miracle was meeting my mom. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think so… It's like life gives you a 'get out of jail free card' that allows you to change your life to be better. Thus, a miracle."

"Yeah, like that. See, when I came to this camp, I figured nothing could happen here because nothing that happens here will matter when we go home. But obviously… well, even you know… a lot of crap has gone down."

Axel snorts, "You're telling me."

"Exactly. And so now, with everything that's gone on, I just feel so… lost. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do or take away from it."

"You're saying a miracle, as you defined it, happened to you here?"

"Well, no- But, well... Maybe? I honestly never thought about it as that," Sora replies, unsure, watching as Axel plays a card.

"Think about it. You're saying that though you thought nothing could happen here, things _have _happened- things that seemed to have changed you. That sounds like a miracle to me."

"I-I guess you're right." The brunet lets that sink in for a moment; a Miracle has happened to him here. Sure, he's thought that before, and even wished it, but confronting it as fact was disconcerting. Sora plays a card and Axel follows suit.

"What do you think has changed?" Axel asks, re-ordering his cards.

Sora hadn't thought about that either. He takes a moment to consider before replying, "I want things to be more… simple." Sora thinks about Xion. "I want my past to stay there, and I want to… I don't know… more forward."

Axel smiles, "I'd say those are some pretty damn good changes. But only you can make those changes happen." Sora lays a card down.

"You're definitely right about that, but I don't know how to make that happen…" the brunet confesses, feelings tears scratch at the sides of his eyes. "I hate feeling so helpless."

Axel pauses, clearly unsure how to deal with tears. He puts down his cards and utilizes his long arms to firmly place his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Hey. I'm not good at all this mushy shit, but I can tell you it's okay to not know. It's okay to be unsure. Everyone needs help sometimes, and even though you chose the worst person to go to…" Axel pauses, letting Sora laugh at the redheads insult on himself, "You've done the right thing…. Uh, alright?"

With a rough sniff, Sora nods. "I know, I just haven't been able to ….talk. You know?"

"I understand completely. Why do you think I never shut up?" He winks, attempting to lighten the mood. Sora responds with a watery smile. "Now, do you want my advice now?"

"Absolutely. But no more clichés," the brunet jokes.

"Damn, well I'm out of ideas."

"Hey!"

"Ha! Just kidding, Sora. You remind me of Roxy sometimes. You're just nicer." Sora makes a disgusted face. "Uh… thanks?"

"Yeah, anyway, as I was saying: Advice. Whenever I need… direction, like you do, I look to something I can pursue. Kind of like a goal. For example, when I came back to this camp, I wanted to light the whole place on fire and just run. However, I met Roxas."

"How did that help?" Sora asks confusedly.

"He is something I can focus on that is tangible. He is in the here and now. He keeps me focused on now and the future, and I let go of what happened in the past. I know I'll have to face those demons, but I can do that later. For now, I can stay in the sanctuary of distraction until I am emotionally capable of facing it."

"But isn't that using him?"

Axel shrugs, "You can think of it like that, but I'm not harming him." Sora looks at him doubtfully. Axel laughs, "Okay, I make him put up with a lot of my crap, but I'm still offering friendship and companionship. If I really thought I was harming him, I would have stopped bothering him forever ago. Not only that…. Helping each other is what friendship is all about. I know that sounds like bullshit coming from me, but I am a much better person with friends than when without. It's just human nature to need others for comfort and accountability."

"But what if they hurt you?" Sora asks desperately. Why would he need anyone else? Everyone, aside from Riku recently, has abandoned him, so why would he indulge in companionship now?

Axel sighs, "That's the risk with anything. But you have to make mistakes to find out what you need. Heartbreak finds you no matter what precautions you take, but it can be worth it in the end."

The brunet eventually nods, reluctantly realizing that the redhead has a point. Obviously Sora has been heartbroken many times despite not committing to anyone; what's the difference, then, between being alone or not? Sora can't think of anything except that at least with friends, he wouldn't have to go through every emotion and every event alone. Axel is definitely right about one thing; it would be much easier for Sora to be 'better' if someone else was there to at least help him along.

"So… I need to find something, or someone, to commit to, so that I can focus on the present instead of the past." Axel nods, agreeing, "That's what helps me."

"Okay,…" Sora accepts, playing his last card. As neither one of them are sure of who won or lost, they leave the deck on the table still. "I have one more question, then, Axel."

"Alright, shoot."

"What made you choose Roxas?" Sora can feel finality within his grasp; Axel chose Roxas and this entire time, they have been somewhat twinned with himself and Riku. If Sora can perhaps understand Axel and Roxas's relationship, maybe he can better understand his and Riku's. And then he'll know what to do. He is sure of it.

However, Axel looks hesitant. He coughs, "That's… actually a bit more complicated, not to mention personal. You want to hear weird?"

Sora nods, sending him a questioning glance. The redhead sighs, placing his elbows on the table and folding his fingers delicately, as if the action could hold the delicate conversation in balance. "Alright, I guess it's my turn to confess my problems." Sora waits patiently, unsure as to what exactly his problem could be with Roxas.

"I am, God forbid, in love with him."

* * *

The sky is dark when Riku leaves the pool. Roxas, Xion, and many of the girls had already left, but the silveret had felt so calm in the water, he stayed. The girls luckily left him alone mostly, and he sat soaking on the middle step into the pool for the longest time, gazing up. All those stars again. With the city so far away, with his life so far away, it was easy to be allured into their beauty and entranced into near sleep. He lost track of time imaging fantasies for the future as if each star was a new memory to his life, thinking as though speaking to his late Mikey. If anyone would understand Riku's dreams, it'd be him. Even though he cannot listen with his ears, the silveret just knew that Mikey could somehow hear them. It brought him comfort.

He stood and stepped out of the water not sad, but peaceful and sleepy. Keeping with the calm and quiet of the night, Riku makes his way silently back to the cabins, drowsily pondering what tomorrow might bring.

"Riku?" another familiar voice rings out behind him as he takes his first step onto the cabins' stairs. His face lights up, and his body turns.

"Sora! I was looking for you earlier. Where've you been?" The silveret knows his voice is probably too calm and sweet, and his eyes too tender and soft, but he can't help it right now. All he can control is his words.

Sora seems distracted, thankfully, though a blush paints his cheeks. His feet shuffle, his hands in his pockets. Riku's tired eyes only perceive awkwardness, but it doesn't deter him. "Oh, I was playing cards with Axel."

Riku chuckles, "You kicked his ass right?" Sora looks anxious to respond but Riku continues, "Oh, I'm sorry I never told you about the comment I said earlier today. I can tell you tomorrow when I can think straight, if you'd like."

Sora shakes his head, smiling, "No, no, its alright, I think I actually understand now. Axel and I got to talk a lot."

The dots still aren't connecting for Riku, and so the silveret only smiles back, unshocked by Sora's discovery. "That's good. I guess that explains why Roxas couldn't find Axel earlier either."

"Yeah…. You look really tired, Riku." Sora looks understanding, but a little disappointed.

"I'm sorry, I guess I tackled you too much," Riku replies, sheepish and unsure what Sora could be disappointed about. "We can hang out tomorrow though. We still have a full week… I think."

"Somewhere around there," Sora agrees, smiling forgivingly. Riku smiles back, but it is soon broken by a yawn that possess his body enough to make it stretch. Sora laughs, "Yeah you should really go to bed. What happened to being a night owl?"

"Pfft. You killed that for me, dork."

"My fault?" Sora pouts.

Riku chuckles, "Yeah, your fault." Sora's eyes shine brightly back at him, clearly conveying contentedness. "Seriously dude, go to bed."

"Fine, fine, I am," Riku replies, shuffling toward his cabin door. His hand get to turning the doorknob when he suddenly feels warmth spread all along his back and a pair of arms enwrap his abdomen.

"Thank you, Riku," Sora says, voice muffled by Riku's towel hanging across his shoulders.

Taken aback, Riku replies dumbly, "For what?"

"Being here," the cherub brunet answers. He releases the silveret and takes a step back. Riku turns to look at him again. Sora's cheeks are even redder than before, though the moon does not help the male's tan at all. Even without Riku's glasses, the sight is beautiful in his eyes. Riku smiles softly, about to reply, when Sora interrupts quietly, "Goodnight, Riku."

The silveret nods, somewhat understanding, "Goodnight, Sor." And they disappear behind their cabin doors, ready to let the light of day open up the new chapters of their lives, despite questions and insecurity on what the future may bring.

* * *

**A/N: It's been a loooong time X_X I'm sorry :( (fluff at the end helps ebb the anger, yes?) But, summer is starting! NO MORE SCHOOL YES. SENIOR-NESS, HERE I COME!**

Though, back to the story, Sora finally understands :D Only a little further and I can draw this story to a close... As it has covered nearly a whole year of my life now, I'm excited and sad to see it all coming together. BUT It's not over yet so please look forward to the next chapter! :) Please read and review if you would like, and I will response ASAP :D Till next time:

**Hannahble****  
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